“It’s a huge relief and the beginning of the end of an injustice,” rejoiced Coline Berry-Rojtman’s lawyer. The Court of Cassation on Tuesday annulled the conviction of Richard Berry’s daughter for defamation against her ex-mother-in-law Jeane Manson and sent the case back to the Lyon Court of Appeal. “These trials are in every way from another time and another era. Coline Berry-Rojtman, for having denounced the facts she suffered in her childhood, was muzzled and judicially mistreated. We are not going to stop there,” added Me Patrick Klugman.
On April 14, 2022, the Aurillac court sentenced Coline Berry-Rojtman, 47, to a fine of 2,000 euros for defamation. The actor’s daughter also had to pay 20,000 euros in damages to her former mother-in-law, as well as 5,000 euros in legal costs. The Riom Court of Appeal confirmed this conviction, adding the same sum in legal costs, a total of 10,000 euros.
Investigation into sexual violence dismissed
In an article published by The world in February 2021, Coline Berry-Rojtman spoke of sexual violence that she suffered as a minor in 1984 and 1985 at the home of her father who then lived with Jeane Manson, accused of having participated with him in these attacks.
The 73-year-old former singer had decided to sue her ex-daughter-in-law for defamation before the Aurillac court, in Cantal, where she lives part of the year. Also implicated, journalists from World and the daily had not been condemned. The investigation targeting the actor accused of incest by his daughter was dismissed on August 31, 2022 due to statute of limitations. Contacted by AFP, Jeane Manson’s lawyer could not immediately be reached.