the charges accumulate against the former presenter, a new hope for the alleged victims?

Bénédicte Martin, writer, says she was sexually assaulted 19 years ago by Patrick Poivre d’Arvor (PPDA). In 2003, he would have invited her to attend the television news of 20 Hours. After the news, the young woman, then 25 years old, was taken to the presenter’s office. Once alone, then he would have her “grip from behind”grabbing her by the throat, before kissing her and trying to “to lower [s]has panties”. The young woman filed a complaint during the month of September.

For a year and a half, accusations have been piling up against PPDA: 30 women have testified before the police, and 18 have filed complaints. Eight of them accuse him of rape. Most of the complaints were closed without action, because the facts are time-barred. “We are at 90 testimonies from victims of PPDA, only PPDA”assures Emmanuelle Dancourt, president of the #metoomedia association, who denounces a “completely disproportionate balance of power”.

The alleged victims cling to a new hope: the writer Florence Porcel, first victim of PPDA, obtained a victory during the summer after having denounced two rapes, one prescribed and the other not. The Court of Appeal of Versailles (Yvelines) considered that justice should investigate the facts even prescribed, because of the rule of seriality. However, it is based on several conditions: to denounce the same aggressor, that the nature of the victims be similar, as well as the operating mode, indicates Aurélien Martini, vice-prosecutor of the court of Melun (Seine-et-Marne) and member of the Union judges’ union. PPDA’s lawyers did not respond to France Télévisions’ requests. The former presenter has always denied the accusations outright.