Sophie Patterson-Spatz, the woman who accuses French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin of rape, says she'll continue her legal fight in the wake of a decision by the Paris Appeals Court to dismiss charges against the minister.
On Tuesday, the Paris Attorney-General, Rémy Heitz, confirmed that no case against the minister exists.
That announcement follows the dismissal of charges in July, and a confidential meeting between the legal representatives of the parties in December.
Gérald Darmanin has consistently denied the allegations, originally brought against him in 2017, insisting that the sexual encounter with Sophie Patterson-Spatz was fully consensual.
Immediately following the publication of the Appeal Court decision on Tuesday, the accuser's legal team promised to take the fight to the next legal level.
"This is truly unbelievable. What a surprise. We're all astonished," said Elodie Tuaillon-Hibon, the plaintiff's lawyer.
"We'll now bring this case to the European Court of Human Rights."
Two legal possibilities remain
In the light of the latest judicial confirmation that no case can be established against the minister, Darmanin's accuser has two remaining legal options: she can apply to the so-called Cassation Court, which judges the judges and has the power to examine cases from all other French tribunals, with a view to ensuring that the law has been correctly applied. Or she can appeal to the European Court of Human Rights.
That second option appears to be the one chosen by Patterson-Spatz's team.
The state prosecution's version of events states that "no charge of false or malicious accusation can be brought against Sophie Patterson-Spatz," adding that there are, however, no grounds which prove that "she had not consented to the sexual act".
The accuser's lawyer, in contrast, alleges that her client was the victim of a "surprise rape," and was forced to submit to a sexual relation which was "neither freely chosen nor consensual".
Parties agree they had sex
The contested facts date from a meeting between the parties in Paris in 2009, at which time Gérald Darmanin worked for the legal office of the right-wing UMP party, since rebaptised Les Républicans.
Sophie Patterson-Spatz asked Darmanin if he could help her to revise her legal file by erasing charges of bribery and threatening phone calls to a former partner, of which she had been found guilty in 2005.
Ms Patterson-Spatz alleges that Darmanin agreed to write a letter to the legal recorder, supporting her effort. She claims that he demanded sex in return. "You will have to help me too," he allegedly said. Both parties agree that sexual relations ensued.
While Darmanin says he was seduced by a charming and determined young woman, Patterson-Spatz claims that she was forced to have sex against her will.
Tuesday's decision confirms the fifth court decision in six years that Gérald Darmanin is guilty of no "reprehensible act" according to the minister's legal representatives. They have added that the minister will make no further statement on the case.
