A man in his forties who posed as a dermatologist in his brother’s office in Besançon is suspected of having raped five patients and of having sexually assaulted seven others, the prosecution announced on Friday.
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The man, who performed laser hair removal in his brother’s dermatology practice, was initially indicted in November 2021 for rape and sexual assault. Facts he categorically disputed.
The suspect’s brother, meanwhile, a real dermatologist, was briefly taken into custody at the start of the investigation, before being quickly and completely exonerated. Since then, the file has grown, thanks in particular to a call for witnesses which has made it possible to identify ten new alleged victims, bringing their number to twelve in total.
According to the regional daily L’Est Républicain, the suspect assures that the patients were all consenting. He presented himself to them as a dermatologist when he only held a degree in aesthetic medicine, a course that this former graphic designer and carpenter had not completed when he began to practice.
The 40-year-old, free under judicial supervision with a ban on practicing, should appear next year before the Doubs criminal court. This experimental system made up of professional magistrates is responsible for judging crimes punishable between 15 and 20 years in prison.
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