Can we choose instead of a victim to publish, without his consent, the details of his own aggression, under the pretext of a “journalistic truth”? That’s the whole question posed by today’s publication of PPDA, the Black Princea detailed portrait of the former protagonist of 20 hours in which its author claims to have met new victims.
Obviously, the answer is no. Yet that is what the Fayard editions assure, through the voice of its managing director, Isabelle Saporta, and of the journalist Romain Verley, author of the problematic book.
“The Black Prince” details the assault of one of the PPDA victims
The controversy begins when Fayard is preparing to publish an investigative book on Patrick Poivre d’Arvor, against which 22 women have filed a complaint, including 11 for rape. Written by journalist Romain Verley, also at the origin of a series of “Inquiry Complements” around PPDA disseminated on France 2, the book details the account of the assault of one of the PPDA victims, when she was 19 years old. In the book, the latter is named directly. Except that he claims that he never met Romain Verley and never spoke to him in the context of this book.
If as reported The Parisianthe complainant had actually taken part in a collective program organized by Mediapartin which many PPDA victims testified, he had never detailed the facts of the complaint he filed in June 2021. Romain Verley simply recovered his testimony in excerpts from his hearing with police in March 2021.
Violation of privacy
Subsequently, the complainant then sued the publisher and author of the book for invasion of privacy, and requested that publication of the book be conditional on the passages relating to her attack being deleted. “to protect his private life and his family and professional environment”except for a penalty of 500 euros per day of delay.
On Tuesday 7 February, the Tribunal de Grande Instance in Paris ruled in favor of the publication of the book, in a decision vigorously criticized by several victims of the PPDA :
“They need to understand that Romain Verley will help them”
Reactions denounced by Isabelle Saporta, managing director of Fayard editions, who accused the victims of wanting to “gag the journalistic truth”: ” Everything was done according to the rules of the art. Journalistic truth is not there to please. I am very surprised that, coming from female journalists, there is a desire to muzzle. They need to understand that Romain Verley will help them get rid of this system. It’s a strength for them.”.
A reaction that can legitimately make you jump. Especially since, if Isabelle Saporta highlights the “rules of the art of journalism”its author acknowledges for his part, according to Le Canard Enchaîné of Wednesday February 8 thatit would have “I should have actually contacted her” [la victime, NDLR]. Rules of the art, really?
Source: Madmoizelle
Mary Crossley is an author at “The Fashion Vibes”. She is a seasoned journalist who is dedicated to delivering the latest news to her readers. With a keen sense of what’s important, Mary covers a wide range of topics, from politics to lifestyle and everything in between.
