This hearing of several hours focused mainly on the sexual assault that the journalist says she suffered in 2016, a source familiar with the matter told AFP.

Marie Portolano, who has not filed a complaint to date according to this source, accuses Pierre Ménès of having lifted her skirt and touched her buttocks, off the air and in front of the audience of the Canal Football Club broadcast, in 2016.

He assures him that he does not remember, due to serious health problems at the time.

In her documentary "I'm not a slut, I'm a journalist", dealing with sexism in the world of sports journalism and broadcast in the spring of 2021 on Canal +, the journalist notably accuses her former colleague of several sexual assaults.

Sports journalist Pierre Menès on the set of the "Canal Football Club", March 27, 2016 in Paris FRANCK FIFE AFP / Archives

Mr. Ménès is also accused of having forcibly kissed two columnists, Isabelle Moreau and Francesca Antoniotti, during television broadcasts.

An internal investigation was opened in the wake of the Canal + channel, accused of having removed from the documentary the most incriminating passages against their star columnist.

After the results of this internal investigation, the labor inspectorate of Hauts-de-Seine (department where the headquarters of Canal + is based) decided in December to take legal action.

The Nanterre prosecution thus opened a preliminary investigation in January for acts of sexual assault and sexual harassment against Mr. Ménès, 58.

These investigations entrusted to the Brigade for the repression of delinquency against persons (BRDP) relate to all the facts mentioned in the report of the labor inspectorate and not only to the facts publicized by Marie Portolano.

Several people, victims or who can be considered as victims and witnesses were interviewed, according to another source familiar with the matter.

Pierre Ménès left Canal+ last summer after these revelations which prompted him to present his "regrets" and "sincere apologies" to his "victims".

He will also be tried in June in Paris, for another case of sexual assault, this time in 2021 at the Parc des Princes.

© 2022 AFP