French singer Patrick Bruel faces rape charges

The case against Bruel comes at a time of heightened sensitivity in France about judicial treatment of sex offences, after the murder of an 11 year-old girl called Lyhanna, whose suspected killer had been the object of several prior denunciations for abuse.Alongside actor Gérard Depardieu, Bruel is the most celebrated French figure to be targeted by accusations of sexual abuse.Depardieu, 77, was given a suspended sentence last year for sexual assault on a film set, and he has appealed against the conviction.Born Patrick Benguigui in Algeria in 1959, Bruel rose to fame in the early 1980s with songs like Marre de cette nana-là (Had enough of that chick). His strong voice and dark, brooding looks led to a wave what was termed at the time Bruelmania.He has also appeared in more than 30 films, and was recently on stage in a theatre production in Paris. Bruel's last performances there were cancelled because of the allegations, as were most dates on a planned concert tour of France, Belgium, Switzerland and Canada. This will now definitively not take place.The singer was the object of a previous series of complaints for sexual harassment, but these were shelved in 2020 for lack of evidence.