He had been dismissed last May by the Paris Conservatoire. It is now in police custody, at the minors protection brigade, that cellist Jérôme Pernoo was placed on Wednesday, in particular for “sexual assault on a minor”, indicated the Paris prosecutor’s office, confirming information from Parisian.
The 50-year-old man was to be heard there “on acts of sexual assault on a 15-year-old minor by a person in authority, sexual assault by a person in authority, corruption of minors, sexual harassment by a person in authority”, specified the Public minister. The custody was also confirmed by a source familiar with the matter.
“Inappropriate behavior”
According The Parisian, Jérôme Pernoo is in police custody for facts concerning three complainants, which allegedly occurred outside the conservatory. A preliminary investigation into these accusations was opened in Paris on April 20, 2021.
Teaching at the Conservatory since 2007, the cellist had initially been suspended as a conservatory, following reports from two former students to the director of the establishment. He had obtained the lifting of this decision in court.
In its order at the beginning of November, the administrative court noted that “eleven testimonies show (that he) made inappropriate gestures towards two former students”, in particular during a study trip to Russia, the “seriousness” of which led management to seize the prosecutor. The order also recalled that the professor, who had never been the subject of a report of this type before, had been accused of “inappropriate behavior” during his lessons.