judged in Paris, Nicolas Bedos puts himself on stage

See my news
Follow Paris News

“I am not a sexual abuser.” The sentence is said forcefully, chewing each syllable, like a diction exercise. In front of the judges, Nicolas Bedos does not justify, he declaims. The director appeared this Thursday, September 26, 2024 before the Paris court for three acts of sexual violence committed in 2023. A suspended prison sentence of 12 months was requested against him.

One hand placed on the crotch

On this evening of 1ᵉʳ 2023, the atmosphere is festive at Les Sauvages, a trendy nightclub in the 1st arrondissement of the capital. Coming with her brother and friends, Sandra*, a regular at the establishment, dances on the floor. Suddenly, a man approaches. With a haggard look and his hand outstretched, he allegedly touched the young woman’s crotch. The latter pushes him away. “Are you going to hit me?” », Retorts the individual, who is finally left by the bouncer. The drunkard is not just anyone, since it is Nicolas Bedos.

A few weeks later, the victim filed a complaint at the police station. An investigation is opened for sexual assault. The director is taken into custody. A another matter then arises. A few weeks earlier, on May 12, Nicolas Bedos allegedly kissed a woman from the nightclub staff on the neck. “Is there somewhere we can kiss?” », he would also have asked the young woman’s colleague. The third fact judged by the court: an evening at Gilles Lelouche’s, where the defendant repeatedly harassed a young woman.

“It’s mega heavy”

If there is one adjective against the defendant that stands out to many in the case, it is that of heaviness. “It’s mega heavy,” testifies the manager of the Sauvages box, who affirms that the director has already been taken out several times from the discotheque. “He is well known for that,” says another witness.

On the stand, the main person concerned does not deny this vitriolic description. “I am aware that I can be odious, pathetic, aggressive with men and women and just about everyone,” declared Nicolas Bedos, who reveals that he is in full introspection and receiving therapy to manage his problems with alcohol.

“It’s not part of me”

With great theatricality, the director denied the alleged facts: “I am not a sexual abuser. I will never be a sexual abuser. I don’t insist on women. It’s not part of me.” The arms cut through the void and the tone becomes passionate. At the end of the response, you almost expect to hear a “Cut” coming from the back of the courtroom.

On the facts, the defendant invokes his profession to justify the few memories he has left of the evening: “If it were cinema, it would be simple spots of color”. The only certainty is the impossibility of having committed the attack: “That I acted like a drunkard, I can’t deny it, but grabbing a penis under jeans is a stupid idea! I would give a leg to have access to video surveillance. Nightclub cameras could not be used during the investigation .

The victim’s tears

After the defendant’s long justifications, the victim came to speak. Unlike the director’s bombastic sentences, the young woman struggles to put the facts into words. “That evening I was dancing when a man in a shirt came up and touched my crotch. He had a completely blank look. His eyes scared me,” said the victim, sobbing.

Anxiety, nightmares… On the stand, Sandra explained the psychological consequencesof this aggression. “It wasn’t easy to come and file a complaint. I then withdrew it, because I was afraid of the proportions that this affair would take,” explained the young woman. Faced with this story, the defendant cannot help but react in his seat.

“I’m stuck at home”

After this hearing, the defendant was questioned again. “I am almost moved by everything I see and what drives this young woman. I hear very well what she says, but she only expresses herself in the name of her conviction which I do not question, but which is totally opposed to mine! “. The director however, was careful not to say that the victim would have lied: “My job is to see actors play scenes. I am convinced that the victim is sincere.”

“I too am angry at the impact that this affair has had on my entire existence,” Nicolas Bedos declared in court. “Today, I am stuck at home.” Despite these justifications, the public prosecutor did not move in this direction. A sentence of 12 months in prison, with a two-year probationary suspensionas well as an obligation of care were required.

Follow all the news from your favorite cities and media by subscribing to Mon Actu.