Former socialist minister Pierre Joxe. (archives) – JOËL SAGET / AFP
The conviction of writer Ariane Fornia for defamation against former minister Pierre Joxe was overturned on Wednesday by the Paris Court of Appeal.
The court considered in its judgment that Ariane Fornia, who had accused in a blog post of having been the victim of a sexual assault on the part of the former minister, “can benefit from the proof of good faith”. “No element of the file allows to characterize a personal animosity” of Ariane Fornia towards the former minister, adds the court.
A cassation appeal to come
Pierre Joxe has planned to lodge an appeal in cassation, AFP learned from his lawyer. This judgment lends to the concept of “good faith” “a very broad interpretation” which allows a person “to make serious accusations without foundation”, thus reacted Me Jean-Yves Dupeux.
The advice of the writer, Me Jean-Jacques Fedida, expressed his “relief”. “The Court of Appeal, by reversing the decision rendered by the court, sovereignly appreciated that there was a sufficient factual basis in the statements” of Ariane Fornia, estimated the lawyer of the writer.
At first instance, Ariane Fornia, whose real name is Alexandra Besson, was ordered to pay a symbolic euro in damages as well as 3,000 euros for legal costs to Pierre Joxe, who had brought this lawsuit.
The writer had never lodged a complaint
The case began in October 2017, when the wave broke out #MeToo, with the publication on Ariane Fornia’s blog of a long post in which she recounted having been the victim of several sexual assaults in her youth, including one at the Opéra Bastille.
She did not name her alleged aggressor by name, but referred to “a former minister of Mitterrand, member of several governments, who held royal functions”. The name of Pierre Joxe, who categorically disputes the facts, quickly emerged.
The former Minister of the Interior and then of Defense had protested against a “slanderous and scandalous denunciation” and had asked for “a written and public apology”. Faced with the writer’s refusal, he had sued her. Ariane Fornia had never filed a complaint against Pierre Joxe, now 86 years old.