Ary Abittan case: major twist for the accused actor

After three years of legal proceedings, the Paris Court of Appeal ruled this Thursday, January 30. The case was dismissed for Ary Abittan at following a rape complaint filed by a woman at the end of 2021.

© Bestimage The Paris Court of Appeal has declared, for the second time, a dismissal of the Ary Abittan case.

IN BRIEF

• On October 31, 2021, Ary Abittan was taken into custody after a 23-year-old woman filed a complaint of rape, which allegedly took place on the night of October 30 to 31.
• The Paris Court of Appeal has confirmed the dismissal initially pronounced, declaring Ary Abittan innocent after an investigation of more than three years.
• The unanimous court decision in favor of Ary Abittan rekindles the debate on the presumption of innocence and the impact of high-profile accusations.

This is a case that had been highly publicized.  On October 31, 2021, Ary Abittan was taken into custody at the premises of the Paris judicial police. The day before, a 23-year-old woman filed a complaint complaint against him for rape for acts that allegedly took place on the night of October 30 to 31. A dismissal had been pronounced for the first time but the complainant had appealed this decision. The Paris Court of Appeal delivered its verdict on Thursday, January 30, confirming the dismissal initially pronounced. 

This new decision immediately caused a reaction from Me Caroline Toby, the comedian's lawyer. “The justice system has considered that Ary Abittan is innocent, after an investigation lasting more than three years. The seven magistrates who had to rule on this case are unanimous”, she stated before continuing:  “From now on, there is no room for doubt about the innocence of my client.” For her part, Me Charlotte Plantin, the plaintiff's lawyer, did not wish to react to this decision. Same for the main person concerned. 

200% Deposit Bonus up to €3,000 180% First Deposit Bonus up to $20,000

Ary Abittan: facts which, according to the complainant, date back to 2021

In her testimony, the young woman who accuses Ary Abittan mentioned sodomy during a party at his home on October 30, 2021. At the time of the alleged events, she was 23 years old and filed a complaint shortly afterward. A medical examination was carried out, highlighting lesions that were consistent with anal intercourse. Ary Abittan was placed in police custody the next day and read under investigation for rape. During this procedure, the young woman had described the comedian as being “obsessed with the practice of sodomy”. 

Still according to the complainant's testimony, Ary Abittan would have accepted her refusal, until that night. The latter assured that she had first declared “not tonight” and then “screamed in pain during the act”. Following the alleged events, the complainant sent messages on Whatsapp to a friend, in which she openly accused Ary Abittan. “He picked the wrong hole/And it hurt me a lot / I asked him to stop/And he kept going/I'm sure he didn't make a mistake /And I asked him to stop/But nothing ”, we could read. 

Ary Abittan: these testimonies that would have weakened that of the complainant

During the investigation, women took the floor. Former partners of Ary Abittan, for the most part, they spoke of a “respectful partner” before the expert reports were carried out. The results had indicated that Ary Abittan did not show “a sexuality deviant or aggressive sexual urges”. In July 2023, the two investigating judges had lifted the charges against the comedian, indicating that elements collected had “weakened the probative value of the clues initially retained”. For his part, Ary Abittan was able to find his audience again since he resumed the tour of his show.