The investigative chamber of the Paris Court of Appeal decided, Tuesday, to refer Saad Lamjarred's case to the court of assizes for the alleged rape of a young woman at the Marriot hotel in Paris, October 26, 2016. According to Le Parisien, the court of appeal overturned the order made last April by the investigating judge who had referred the artist's case to the criminal court. «His accuser, who had appealed, has therefore just won her case», the newspaper explains. «We are satisfied with this decision. The investigating chamber made a reading and a rigorous analysis of the facts and did not follow through with the prosecuting authorities' request which asked for a confirmation of the deference of the case to a correctional court. Rape is a crime, it is the court of assizes which is competent (in this case, ed)», said Jean-Marc Descoubes, lawyer for the complainant, Laura Prioul, now 23 years-old. In this case, Saad Lamjarred, 34, has always claimed his innocence, disputing any sexual act and any violence against the young woman, the French newspaper recalls. «His lawyers, Me Thierry Herzog and Jean-Marc Fédida, will not stop there. Convinced of the innocence of their client, they will appeal in order to avoid a lawsuit against the famous artist. They are simply waiting to hear the judgment of the investigating chamber and its arguments», the same source concludes.
