Paris (AFP)

Justice has opened an investigation into accusations of rape brought against the former star presenter of the television news Patrick Poivre d'Arvor who firmly "challenges" and says he is "instrumentalized" by the complainant.

This new case of suspicion of sexual violence erupted after the revelation by Le Parisien of the complaint of the writer Florence Porcel, who accuses the journalist and novelist, now 73 years old, of an unwanted sexual intercourse in 2004 and of forcing him to perform oral sex in 2009.

The Nanterre prosecutor's office told AFP on Thursday that it had opened a preliminary investigation after this complaint, confirming information from the Parisian.

The facts of 2004 would have taken place in the office of PPDA at TF1, in Boulogne-Billancourt (Hauts-de-Seine), at the end of a television news and those of 2009 at the headquarters of the production company A Prime Group , according to Le Parisien.

The preliminary investigation, entrusted to the Brigade for the repression of personal delinquency (BRDP) of the Paris judicial police, "is in its very early stages", according to the prosecution.

The complainant has not yet been heard by the police, a source familiar with the matter told AFP.

The complainant, the author and actress Florence Porcel, 37, became known in particular through her YouTube channel specializing in astronomy, "The crazy history of the Universe".

In 2019, this YouTuber was one of the main accusers of the "LOL League", a Facebook group whose members have been accused of cyber-harassment, which they dispute.

At the beginning of January, she published a novel "Pandorini" (Ed. JC Lattès) in which she tells the story "inspired by an episode in her life" in which a young woman is raped by a "sacred monster of French cinema" which holds it in its grip.

Contacted by AFP, Florence Porcel did not wish to react.

- Ready to be heard -

Mr. Poivre d'Arvor immediately replied Thursday, denouncing "a slanderous denunciation inspired by a quest for unseemly notoriety", in a press release from his lawyer François Binet, sent to AFP.

He says he is ready to be heard by the investigators, "if they wish to hear it", and "will also take the opportunity (...) to proceed with the filing of a complaint" for slanderous denunciation against the one who accuses him.

"PPDA" is "revolted by the way in which one seeks to instrumentalize to ensure the promotion of a novel. Obviously these accusations are absurd and above all false. He firmly rejects them", insists the press release.

This new case erupts as a wave of accusations of sexual assault and incest have been brought in recent weeks against French intellectuals or men of power.

The political scientist Olivier Duhamel, the artist Claude Lévêque, the actor Richard Berry or the television producer Gérard Louvin and her husband were accused of rape by relatives, minors at the time.

The president of the National Cinema Center Dominique Boutonnat and the pro-Frexit politician François Asselineau have been charged with sexual assault.

The defendants deny while the investigations multiply.

- Star of 8 p.m. -

"PPDA" hosted the literary show "Vive les livres" on Cnews until last January before the channel decided to shut it down last month.

He still officiates on CNews as a columnist, twice a week, in the decryption program of the news "The beautiful team".

He is also the author of around sixty books.

Initially featured presenter of the 20 hours newspaper of Antenne 2 (formerly France 2) from 1976-1983, PPDA then took control of the 20H newspaper on TF1 from 1987 to 2008. Before being ousted, without "the slightest serious explanation," he will say.

A seasoned interviewer, he was responsible for a long time for leading the major traditional talks of July 14 with the President of the Republic and for hosting the channel's election evenings.

But his career has also been peppered with many controversies: artificially reconstructed interview with Cuban leader Fidel Castro, judicial conviction for accepting bribes in the Botton affair ...

ali-alh-ac-fbe / may / cbn

© 2021 AFP