Prosecutors in France said Monday that they had dropped an investigation into accusations of rape of a minor and sexual aggression by a prominent political scientist because the statute of limitations had expired.

The prosecutors opened their investigation of the academic, Olivier Duhamel, on Jan. 5, following accusations by his stepdaughter, Camille Kouchner, that he sexually abused her twin brother more than 30 years ago. Such abuse would be considered incest under French law, even though the boy was Duhamel’s stepson.

In a book published in early January, “La Familia Grande,” Kouchner, an associate professor of law at Paris Descartes University, accused Duhamel of abusing her brother starting when he was 14.

The book rocked Paris’ elite circles of intellectuals, artists and politicians, whom Kouchner accused of having largely protected the well-connected Duhamel, who was the president of “Le Siècle,” an elite social club in the capital, and the head of the governing board overseeing the prestigious Sciences Po university. Duhamel has since resigned from all the positions he held.

The accusations also helped set off a new reckoning over sexual abuse and incest in France, a country that has gone through a delayed reaction to the #MeToo movement. Soon after allegations against Duhamel were made, sexual abuse accusations against several other powerful men in the French establishment also became public.

Prosecutors declined to reveal details of the investigation. But they said in a statement Monday that had the statute of limitations not expired, “the facts revealed or alleged” in the investigation would have “led to prosecution.” Duhamel’s lawyer declined to comment.

Duhamel himself has sought to avoid speaking publicly about the allegations, telling the weekly magazine L’Obs in January: “I do not react, and I have nothing to say. Anything I might say would, in any event, be, I don’t know, distorted.”

From the outset, accusations against Duhamel were expected to fall outside the statute of limitations, which was 20 years at the time of the alleged offense. But French prosecutors regularly open investigations in sexual abuse cases to identify other potential victims even though the statute of limitations may have expired.

Kouchner did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In an interview in January, she acknowledged that Duhamel was unlikely to face punishment but said that she wanted, through her book, to leave testimony that her children could read and that could pave the way for a better awareness of incest in French society.

Her book helped prompt a move by the French government to overhaul the country’s legislation on sex between adults and minors. Under the new law, which was enacted in April, a sexual relationship with a minor younger than 15 is characterized as rape and is punishable by 20 years in prison, unless the age gap between the consensual partners is small.

Until the law was revised, France prohibited sex between an adult and a minor younger than 15, but it was not automatically considered rape.

The scandal surrounding Duhamel also unleashed a deluge of personal stories on social media from people in France who said they were victims of incest and led to the resignation of the director of Sciences Po after it became clear he had taken no action against Duhamel despite knowing of the accusations against him.

It was also quickly followed by fresh allegations of sexual abuse against other powerful figures in politics, the arts and the media, providing momentum for a #MeToo movement in France that had struggled after many in the country dismissed it as a product of American puritanism and a distortion of feminism.

Kouchner in January said that “a real awareness” about sexual abuse was rising in French society, to an extent she had not expected.

“What is happening in the real world is very powerful,” she said.

Prosecutors in France said Monday that they had dropped an investigation into accusations of rape of a minor and sexual aggression by a prominent political scientist because the statute of limitations had expired.

Prosecutors in France said Monday that they had dropped an investigation into accusations of rape of a minor and sexual aggression by a prominent political scientist because the statute of limitations had expired. The prosecutors opened their investigation of the academic, Olivier Duhamel, on Jan. 5, following accusations by his stepdaughter, Camille Kouchner, that he sexually abused her twin brother more than 30 years ago. Such abuse would be considered incest under French law, even though the boy was Duhamel’s stepson. In a book published in early January, “La Familia Grande,” Kouchner, an associate professor of law at Paris Descartes University, accused Duhamel of abusing her brother starting when he was 14. The book rocked Paris’ elite circles of intellectuals, artists and politicians, whom Kouchner accused of having largely protected the well-connected Duhamel, who was the president of “Le Siècle,” an elite social club in the capital, and the head of the governing board overseeing the prestigious Sciences Po university. Duhamel has since resigned from all the positions he held. The accusations also helped set off a new reckoning over sexual abuse and incest in France, a country that has gone through a delayed reaction to the #MeToo movement. Soon after allegations against Duhamel were made, sexual abuse accusations against several other powerful men in the French establishment also became public. Prosecutors declined to reveal details of the investigation. But they said in a statement Monday that had the statute of limitations not expired, “the facts revealed or alleged” in the investigation would have “led to prosecution.” Duhamel’s lawyer declined to comment. Duhamel himself has sought to avoid speaking publicly about the allegations, telling the weekly magazine L’Obs in January: “I do not react, and I have nothing to say. Anything I might say would, in any event, be, I don’t know, distorted.” From the outset, accusations against Duhamel were expected to fall outside the statute of limitations, which was 20 years at the time of the alleged offense. But French prosecutors regularly open investigations in sexual abuse cases to identify other potential victims even though the statute of limitations may have expired. Kouchner did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In an interview in January, she acknowledged that Duhamel was unlikely to face punishment but said that she wanted, through her book, to leave testimony that her children could read and that could pave the way for a better awareness of incest in French society. Her book helped prompt a move by the French government to overhaul the country’s legislation on sex between adults and minors. Under the new law, which was enacted in April, a sexual relationship with a minor younger than 15 is characterized as rape and is punishable by 20 years in prison, unless the age gap between the consensual partners is small. Until the law was revised, France prohibited sex between an adult and a minor younger than 15, but it was not automatically considered rape. The scandal surrounding Duhamel also unleashed a deluge of personal stories on social media from people in France who said they were victims of incest and led to the resignation of the director of Sciences Po after it became clear he had taken no action against Duhamel despite knowing of the accusations against him. It was also quickly followed by fresh allegations of sexual abuse against other powerful figures in politics, the arts and the media, providing momentum for a #MeToo movement in France that had struggled after many in the country dismissed it as a product of American puritanism and a distortion of feminism. Kouchner in January said that “a real awareness” about sexual abuse was rising in French society, to an extent she had not expected. “What is happening in the real world is very powerful,” she said.

France drops rape investigation of prominent intellectual

One of France's most prominent political commentators is facing a criminal investigation after being accused of the sexual abuse of his stepson, in the latest taboo-breaking scandal to rock the French intellectual elite.

Olivier Duhamel, 70, who has described the incest allegations as "personal attacks", is accused in a new book, written by his stepdaughter Camille Kouchner, of abusing her twin brother when they were aged 14.

Paris prosecutors said Tuesday they were opening an investigation into Duhamel over suspected rape and sexual abuse of a minor by a person in authority. He has stepped down from all his media and academic posts amid the furore.

The book "La Familia grande", which is due to be published on Thursday, has shocked French intellectual circles given Duhamel's prominence and close connections to the elite.

While many commentators have cast France as being slow to break longstanding taboos over the abuse of minors, this is not the first such controversy to make headlines over the last year.

Publisher Vanessa Springora, in a book published in January 2020, accused prize-winning writer Gabriel Matzneff of abusing her while she was a minor. Film star Adele Haenel in November 2019 accused director Christophe Ruggia of sexually harassing her when she was in her early teens.

Haenel and other French actresses also in February last year walked out of France's Cesar awards after filmmaker Roman Polanski -- wanted in the US for the statutory rape of a 13-year-old girl in 1977 –- won best director.

'I knew and said nothing'

Duhamel said on Twitter that he was resigning from all his posts following the allegations, including as head of the National Foundation of Political Sciences (FNSP), a body that oversees the hugely prestigious Sciences Po university.

"I am stepping down from my posts after being the target of personal attacks as I want to preserve the institutions in which I work," said Duhamel, who also until now presented a show on Europe 1 radio and is an analyst on LCI TV.

Camille Kouchner, now 45 and a lecturer, and her twin brother are the children of France's former foreign minister and co-founder of the Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) medical charity Bernard Kouchner and academic Evelyne Pisier, who died in 2017.

Kouchner and Pisier separated and she went on to marry Duhamel.

"I was 14 years old and let it go ahead. I was 14, I knew and said nothing," Camille Kouchner wrote in the book.

In the book, she names her brother only as "Victor" in order to protect his privacy. But Le Monde daily said he had read the text twice and was happy for his sister to speak on his behalf.

"I confirm that what my sister has written concerning the actions of Olivier Duhamel towards me is correct," "Victor" told Le Monde, without commenting further.

'Heavy secret'

In an interview with L'Obs magazine, Kouchner said the book revealed to what extent Duhamel's and Pisier's group of leftist intellectual friends, some of them household names in France, knew what was going on.

"Of course, I thought my book might seem obscene because of my family's fame. Then I thought to myself, this is exactly what needs to be done," she said.

In the book, she alleges a de-facto omerta had protected her stepfather from the truth being widely known.

"Very quickly, the people in power, Saint-Germain-des-Pres (the traditional hub in Paris for leftist thinkers) were aware. Many knew and most acted as if nothing had happened."

The book says that after his mother's death, "Victor" told his father Bernard Kouchner about what had happened. He pledged to confront Duhamel but was persuaded against doing so by Camille herself, on the grounds "Victor" wanted the family to move on.

In a statement released by his lawyer, Bernard Kouchner said that a "heavy secret that has been weighing on us for too long has happily been lifted. I applaud the courage of my daughter Camille".

One of France's most prominent political commentators is facing a criminal investigation after being accused of the sexual abuse of his stepson, in the latest taboo-breaking scandal to rock the French intellectual elite.

One of France's most prominent political commentators is facing a criminal investigation after being accused of the sexual abuse of his stepson, in the latest taboo-breaking scandal to rock the French intellectual elite. Olivier Duhamel, 70, who has described the incest allegations as "personal attacks", is accused in a new book, written by his stepdaughter Camille Kouchner, of abusing her twin brother when they were aged 14. Paris prosecutors said Tuesday they were opening an investigation into Duhamel over suspected rape and sexual abuse of a minor by a person in authority. He has stepped down from all his media and academic posts amid the furore. The book "La Familia grande", which is due to be published on Thursday, has shocked French intellectual circles given Duhamel's prominence and close connections to the elite. While many commentators have cast France as being slow to break longstanding taboos over the abuse of minors, this is not the first such controversy to make headlines over the last year. Publisher Vanessa Springora, in a book published in January 2020, accused prize-winning writer Gabriel Matzneff of abusing her while she was a minor. Film star Adele Haenel in November 2019 accused director Christophe Ruggia of sexually harassing her when she was in her early teens. Haenel and other French actresses also in February last year walked out of France's Cesar awards after filmmaker Roman Polanski -- wanted in the US for the statutory rape of a 13-year-old girl in 1977 –- won best director. 'I knew and said nothing' Duhamel said on Twitter that he was resigning from all his posts following the allegations, including as head of the National Foundation of Political Sciences (FNSP), a body that oversees the hugely prestigious Sciences Po university. "I am stepping down from my posts after being the target of personal attacks as I want to preserve the institutions in which I work," said Duhamel, who also until now presented a show on Europe 1 radio and is an analyst on LCI TV. Camille Kouchner, now 45 and a lecturer, and her twin brother are the children of France's former foreign minister and co-founder of the Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) medical charity Bernard Kouchner and academic Evelyne Pisier, who died in 2017. Kouchner and Pisier separated and she went on to marry Duhamel. "I was 14 years old and let it go ahead. I was 14, I knew and said nothing," Camille Kouchner wrote in the book. In the book, she names her brother only as "Victor" in order to protect his privacy. But Le Monde daily said he had read the text twice and was happy for his sister to speak on his behalf. "I confirm that what my sister has written concerning the actions of Olivier Duhamel towards me is correct," "Victor" told Le Monde, without commenting further. 'Heavy secret' In an interview with L'Obs magazine, Kouchner said the book revealed to what extent Duhamel's and Pisier's group of leftist intellectual friends, some of them household names in France, knew what was going on. "Of course, I thought my book might seem obscene because of my family's fame. Then I thought to myself, this is exactly what needs to be done," she said. In the book, she alleges a de-facto omerta had protected her stepfather from the truth being widely known. "Very quickly, the people in power, Saint-Germain-des-Pres (the traditional hub in Paris for leftist thinkers) were aware. Many knew and most acted as if nothing had happened." The book says that after his mother's death, "Victor" told his father Bernard Kouchner about what had happened. He pledged to confront Duhamel but was persuaded against doing so by Camille herself, on the grounds "Victor" wanted the family to move on. In a statement released by his lawyer, Bernard Kouchner said that a "heavy secret that has been weighing on us for too long has happily been lifted. I applaud the courage of my daughter Camille".

French political expert accused of incest in new taboo-breaking scandal

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France drops rape investigation of prominent intellectual

French political expert accused of incest in new taboo-breaking scandal