The trial of the famous real estate agent Stéphane Plaza for violence against two ex-partners began Thursday in Paris with procedural questions: his defense formulated requests for nullification, a “waste of time” regrettable according to the prosecution.
The 54-year-old real estate agent, dressed in a midnight blue suit and white T-shirt, appears for “habitual physical and/or psychological violence by partner” between 2018 and 2022 on a former partner, Amandine, as well as for “habitual psychological violence by partner” on another, Paola, between 2021 and 2022.
During a first hearing in August, the defense had already defended two priority questions of constitutionality (QPC), also relating to procedure.
His lawyers had also requested the postponement of the trial, ensuring that their client was too “psychologically fragile” to appear. The substantive debates had been postponed until this Thursday.
“Field of ruins”
“Mr. Plaza did everything necessary today to be there”I am assured I am a lawyer, Me Carlo Alberto Brusa.
“I have a lot of respect for the civil parties, who certainly suffered from a romantic breakup” but they seek to ” destroy “ Mr. Plaza, and they “have already undertaken a small field of ruins”Mr. Brusa argued at the hearing.
The lawyer denounced an incriminating investigation, real « tsunami » judicial, against which he raised nullities for several reasons: not having, according to him, had access to all the documents of the procedure, the choice of prosecutions…
What does the prosecution mean by violence? “usual” ? scolds the lawyer.
“Talking about four, five facts in several years of dating… I would have divorced my wife a long time ago if I had to be sued every time I get a little angry”argued Me Brusa.
“I regret the time wasted on these nullities”retorted the prosecutor. “It is not dignified, even if it is a sadly banal case, it is not for the civil parties present”.
The two women, sitting on the bench reserved for them, were recognized as being totally incapacitated for more than eight days.
The court retired to debate these requests.
Mr. Plaza’s complaint closed
Stéphane Plaza faces ten years in prison and a fine of 150,000 euros.
From the start, he has contested these accusations, to which are added threats denounced by a third ex-partner.
The accusations against Mr. Plaza began in September 2023, with the publication by Mediapart of the testimonies of three former partners denouncing “humiliation, threats, verbal and, for two of them, physical violence”.
The investigation site also mentioned “problematic behaviors” on the part of the facilitator in the professional context.
The prosecution then opened an investigation into domestic violence, following the receipt of letters from Mr. Plaza’s two ex-partners.
Immediately afterwards, Mr. Plaza announced that he had filed a complaint against the two women three months earlier, for harassment and cyberharassment. After a preliminary investigation, this complaint was dismissed on January 7, according to the prosecution.
But the defense had also filed a new complaint in October, even before this classification, this time to obtain referral to an investigating judge.
Initially a real estate agent, Stéphane Plaza became a star of the small screen when M6 propelled him to the head of the shows in 2006 “Apartment or house search” et “House for sale” (2007), followed by “Apartment Hunters” (2015).
In the absence of a conviction of the host by the courts, M6 has repeatedly ruled out ending their collaboration. However, in the fall, several media outlets stated that the channel was working to “liquidate” Stéphane Plaza shows already in stock.
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