“Be careful of imprescriptibility which can be disappointing for women”, warns the Minister of Justice

The prosecution only retained three rapes and one sexual assault from dozens of complaints and testimonies accusing the former presenter of the TF1 news. 19 other reports were dismissed due to the statute of limitations.

Published


Reading time: 1 min

The Minister of Justice, Éric Dupond-Moretti, February 29, 2024 on franceinfo.  (FRANCEINFO / RADIO FRANCE)

“I say be careful of the imprescriptibility. This can be disappointing, many women will be met with an acquittal, a dismissal of proceedings, a dismissal of the case or an acquittal of the accused, for lack of evidence”, projects the Minister of Justice, Éric Dupond-Moretti, Thursday February 29 on franceinfo.

The Minister of Justice was questioned on this subject while the Nanterre public prosecutor’s office announced on Wednesday that the investigating judges’ investigation into the former journalist and presenter of TF1’s 8 p.m. show, Patrick Poivre d’Arvor, will focus on three rapes and one sexual assault. On the other hand, the public prosecutor closed the 19 other testimonies or complaints from women, for limitation.

“I have received a lot of associations, and a number of women have told me that they want to keep the prescription, because they want to speak, but do not want a trial,” explains the Minister of Justice, adding that imprescriptibility would pose “an evidentiary problem. What evidence remains?”

Concerning the so-called rolling statute of limitations, applied to crimes and sexual offenses against minors, where the statute of limitations is calculated from the last offense committed, the Minister of Justice does not say “not opposed to thinking about this issue” an extension of this provision to sexual crimes against adults.


source site