Report into abuse in British gymnastics is 'too little, too late'

MSN – AFP, 17 June 2022

An independent report revealed 'systemic' abuse within British gymnastics.
© EMMANUEL DUNAND

Recommendations made in a damning report into a toxic culture within British gymnastics are "too little, too late to change a culture of mistreatment", according to a campaign group representing athletes. 

The independent Whyte Review, commissioned in 2020 after a host of complaints from high-profile British gymnasts and published on Thursday, revealed "systemic" abuse in the sport. 

Safeguarding failures from junior to elite level were catalogued by lawyer Anne Whyte from more than 400 submissions, over half of which reported some form of emotional abuse, with nine percent involving sexual abuse. 

"I have concluded that gymnasts' well-being and welfare has not been at the centre of (governing body British Gymnastics') culture for much of the period of the review," she wrote. 

Despite a "genuine apology" from the new British Gymnastics chief executive Sarah Powell, those affected cast doubts on the ability of the organisation to implement change and said the review did not go far enough. 

Gymnasts for Change, which represents many of the athletes who have made allegations against British Gymnastics, said while it welcomed the review, "ultimately, the recommendations fall far short of what is needed". 

It added: "This is too little, too late to change a culture of mistreatment. Every day without holistic and wholesale change another gymnast is put at risk and these recommendations fall far short of the change needed." 

Whyte revealed horrific personal testimonies, including over-stretching to the extent a gymnast feared their legs would "snap", food and drink deprivation that led to eating disorders, and emotional abuse including ridiculing gymnasts who cried or needed to go to the lavatory. 

Whyte accused Powell's predecessor Jane Allen, who retired in December 2020, of a "lack of leadership" and presiding over an "organisational failure... to appreciate the central importance of athlete welfare", and said both British Gymnastics and UK Sport focused on medal success rather than athlete welfare. 

She called on the governing body to ensure its complaints system was "fit for purpose" and urged it to appoint both board members with specific expertise in safeguarding and a director of education with overall responsibility for the education of coaches and welfare officers. 

Powell said British Gymnastics accepted all the recommendations in the report and "will not shy away" from taking the steps required to restore confidence in the governing body and the sport as a whole. 

'Culture of fear' 

Four-time Olympic medallist Louis Smith said the governing body should be under no illusions that it had plenty of work ahead before it could rid itself of its association with a "culture of fear". 

Smith tweeted: "If you're wondering if the culture of fear is gone in British gymnastics, then take a look to see how many active competing GB gymnasts publicly support the Whyte review. 

"British gymnastics need to remember they don't own anyone and having an opinion isn't an attack!!" 

Earlier this month, Simone Biles, Aly Raisman and other star US gymnasts filed a $1 billion claim against the FBI for alleged mishandling of the investigation into sexual abuse by predatory former team doctor Larry Nassar. 

Nassar, 58, is serving a life sentence after pleading guilty to sexually assaulting athletes while working as a sports medicine doctor at USA Gymnastics and Michigan State University. 

In May, a group of gymnasts filed a claim against Gymnastics Canada and the federation's provincial counterparts for having tolerated a climate of abuse and mistreatment for decades.

Mexican mega-church leader sentenced for child sex abuse

Rfi.fr – AFP, 9 June 2022 

Naason Joaquin Garcia , head of the La Luz Del Mundo church which claims five
million followers worldwide, was accused of coercing underage girls into performing
sexual acts by telling them that going against his wishes would be acting against
God Al Seib POOL/AFP/File

Los Angeles (AFP) – The leader of a Mexican mega-church who pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting three young girls was sentenced in Los Angeles on Wednesday to nearly 17 years in prison. 

But the ruling, following a plea deal Naason Joaquin Garcia struck with prosecutors last week, was met with anger by victims, who at an emotional hearing called for their abuser to face trial and the maximum possible sentence. 

One victim in court Wednesday condemned officials for "negotiating with this rapist" while another said in a statement read to the court that the justice system "failed us." 

Garcia, head of the La Luz Del Mundo church which claims five million followers worldwide, coerced underage girls into performing sexual acts by telling them that going against his wishes would be acting against God, prosecutors said. 

He was arrested at a Los Angeles airport in June 2019. An initial human trafficking and child rape case was thrown out on a technicality, and charges were re-filed. 

Last Friday, on the eve of his trial, the 53-year-old -- who claims to be the last apostle of Jesus, and had initially denied all wrongdoing -- pleaded guilty to felony crimes of sexual assault of three minors. 

These included forcible oral copulation and a lewd act upon a 15-year-old, but not counts of rape, extortion and child pornography. 

California attorney general Rob Bonta hailed the sentence as a "critical step forward for justice." 

"While it will never undo the harm and trauma he caused as the leader of La Luz del Mundo, this sentence makes it crystal clear that abusers -- no matter who they are -- will be held accountable," he said Wednesday. 

Still, Garcia's church continued to back its leader, issuing a statement Wednesday to "publicly express our support for the Apostle of Jesus Christ" and praising his "integrity, his conduct and his work." 

The Spanish-language statement said evidence against Garcia had been fabricated and that the leader had no choice but to strike a deal as he would not have received a "fair and just" trial. 

In court, one victim who said Garcia had stolen both her virginity and her faith begged the judge to "make sure that this man is put away for life." 

"How is this justice?" she asked.

NRA: The powerful US gun rights lobby

Yahoo – AFP, Joshua MELVIN, May 27, 2022

People look at semi-automatic guns at the Kalashnikov booth at the NRA's
annual convention in Houston (AFP/STRINGER) (STRINGER)

The National Rifle Association is the central and fiercest promoter of gun rights in America, and is again holding its annual convention days after a mass school shooting. 

Just like the NRA's meeting after the 1999 Columbine attack, which defined an era of gun massacres in America's schools, the gathering opening Friday in Houston follows the killing of 19 children and two teachers in a Texas classroom. 

The NRA has been weakened by scandal and turmoil, but remains the main force dedicated to advocating for the owners of the tens of millions of weapons that are readily obtainable across the country. 

Here are some key points about the organization: 

Potent political force 

The 150-year-old NRA concentrated its focus on battling gun restrictions in the late 1970s and has become one of the most powerful lobbying groups in US history. 

Its past influence on lawmakers has been far-reaching. 

From 2000 to 2012, the NRA and its allies in the firearms industry combined to pour $80 million into US House of Representatives, Senate and presidential races, according to an analysis by the Center for Responsive Politics. 

In the 2016 presidential election, the NRA spent about $20 million for ads attacking Democrat Hillary Clinton and another $10 million for ads supporting Republican Donald Trump. 

Since the 1990s, the NRA has been able to deliver a powerful punch against local and national politicians it views as a threat to gun rights, contributing to the defeat of numerous centrist candidates. 

Many guns, many deaths 

The NRA has been a key proponent for an industry that has produced more than 139 million guns for the commercial market over the two decades from 2000, including 11.3 million in 2020 alone, according to government data. 

At the same time, America annually records a toll of tens of thousands of gun deaths, with US authorities saying killings underwent an "historic" increase in 2020. 

The US racked up 19,350 firearm homicides in 2020, up nearly 35 percent over 2019, and 24,245 gun suicides, up 1.5 percent. 

The post-Columbine era 

In the April 20, 1999 shooting at Columbine high school in Littleton, Colorado, two students killed 12 of their classmates and a teacher, and signaled a new era of classroom killings in America. 

The NRA's annual conference was scheduled to open less than two weeks later in Denver, a short drive from Littleton, prompting state and local politicians to criticize the planned meeting. 

In the end, the NRA went ahead with a scaled-down gathering but voiced a defiant tone defending gun rights. 

"Over the next two decades, this unapologetic message would come to define the NRA's tone in the wake of mass shootings at American schools," US broadcaster NPR wrote, after publishing recordings it said captured the group's debate over the response to Columbine. 

A troubled NRA 

The state of New York sued the group and its leader Wayne LaPierre in 2020 for financial fraud and misconduct, aiming to dissolve the powerful lobby. 

Top NRA officials were accused of using dues and donations of members for years as a "personal piggy bank," spending tens of millions of dollars on themselves and their cronies in violation of laws governing non-profit organizations. 

The group called it a baseless political attack, and in March a New York judge ruled that alleged self-dealing by the group's leader, if proven, would not warrant such a strong penalty as the disbanding of the association. 

New York's lawsuit seeking to boot LaPierre from his post will, however, be allowed to proceed. 

Group in decline? 

NRA claims more than five million members, but there are signs that figure is on the wane, including a 2021 legal deposition from LaPierre in which he said numbers were "under 4.9 million." 

US network CBS reported NRA's revenue declined 23 percent from roughly $367 million in 2016 to $282 million in 2020, the most recent year for which its tax filings are available. 

It added that contributions and grants from members and corporations also have slipped 15 percent during that time. 

Yet after an 18-year-old man opened fire this week at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, the group spoke up as the voice explaining why yet another mass shooting had happened. 

"We recognize this was the act of a lone, deranged criminal," their statement said. "As we gather in Houston, we will reflect on these events... and pledge to redouble our commitment to making our schools secure."

'Butcher' Putin 'cannot remain in power': Biden

Yahoo – AFP, Aurélia END, 26 March 2022 

US President Joe Biden, with Polish Prime Minister Mateusz (c) visiting Ukrainian
refugees in Warsaw on Saturday (AFP/Brendan Smialowski)

President Joe Biden on Saturday called his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin a "butcher" who "cannot remain in power" after meeting top Ukrainian ministers for the first time since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. 

Within minutes of his comments during a visit to Warsaw, a White House official played down the remarks saying Biden "was not discussing Putin's power in Russia, or regime change". 

"The president's point was that Putin cannot be allowed to exercise power over his neighbours or the region," the official said. 

Biden compared Ukraine's resistance against Russia to the anti-Soviet "battle for freedom" and said the world must prepare for a "long fight ahead". 

"We stand with you," he told Ukrainians in a sweeping speech at the Royal Castle in Warsaw, which he began with the words of late Polish pope John Paul II: "Be not afraid." 

He said Russia had suffered a "strategic failure" in Ukraine and told ordinary Russians they were "not our enemy", urging them to blame Putin for the heavy sanctions imposed by the West. 

He also warned Russia not to move on an "inch" of NATO territory, reiterating the "sacred obligation" of collective defence for alliance members. 

"We will have a different future, a brighter future rooted in democracy and principle, hope and light. 

"For God's sake, this man cannot remain in power," he said, concluding his address. 

Russian missile fragment 

Biden earlier on Saturday met with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov, who made a rare trip out of Ukraine in a possible sign of growing confidence in the fightback against Russian forces. 

The meeting took place at the Marriott Hotel in the city centre -- opposite a Warsaw train station where there has been a constant flow of Ukrainian refugees since the conflict started. 

Biden sat at a long white table between US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin, facing Kuleba and Reznikov, an AFP reporter saw. 

There were Ukrainian and US flags in the background. 

During the meeting Biden was flanked by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin (far right, facing) and sitting opposite Kuleba and
Reznikov (front 3rd right) (AFP/Brendan Smialowski)

Kuleba gave Biden the fragment of a Russian missile that struck a base in Yavoriv near the western Ukrainian city of Lviv close to the Polish border. 

"The invincible character of Ukrainians and Western ones, especially US ones, are the recipe for our victory," Kuleba said after the meeting. 

Kuleba said he had discussed new sanctions that could be imposed against Russia and how to ensure the current ones are properly implemented. 

Blinken and Austin "pledged continued support to meet Ukraine's humanitarian, security, and economic needs", State Department spokesperson Ned Price said. 

Biden last met Kuleba in Washington on February 22 -- two days before Russia launched its assault. 

Since then, Kuleba has also met Blinken in Poland, next to the border with Ukraine on March 5. 

'He's a butcher' 

The US leader later visited a refugee centre at the National Stadium in Warsaw where he met several refugees, including some from the city of Mariupol which has suffered the worst of Russia's assault. 

Asked by reporters what he thought of Putin's actions, Biden responded simply: "He's a butcher." 

"I remember what it's like when you have someone in a war zone and every morning you get up and you wonder, you are just wondering, you are praying you don't get that phone call," said Biden, whose son Beau served in Iraq before dying of a brain tumour. 

He also said he was "not sure" that Russia had changed its strategy in Ukraine after assertions by Russian officials that they were altering their war aims to concentrate on the eastern Donbas region. 

During his visit, Biden also told Polish President Andrzej Duda that NATO's collective defence was a "sacred commitment" for the US, adding: "You can count on that... For your freedom and ours." 

Duda told him that Poles felt a "great sense of threat" from the conflict in neighbouring Ukraine.

Prince Andrew gives up military titles, patronages: palace

Yahoo – AFP, January 13, 2022

Prince Andrew has given up his honorary military titles and charitable
positions (AFP/John Thys}

Queen Elizabeth II's second son Prince Andrew, who is facing a US civil case for sexual assault, has given up his honorary military and charitable roles, Buckingham Palace said on Thursday. 

"With The Queen's approval and agreement, The Duke of York's military affiliations and Royal patronages have been returned to The Queen," a statement said. 

"The Duke of York will continue not to undertake any public duties and is defending this case as a private citizen." 

The announcement came after a judge in New York on Wednesday ruled against the 61-year-old prince, who had tried to have the case against him thrown out. 

Andrew, a former Royal Navy helicopter pilot who flew in the 1982 Falklands War, is accused of sexually assaulting Virginia Giuffre when she was 17. 

Giuffre alleges the late disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein lent her out for sex with his wealthy and powerful associates. 

Andrew, who is ninth in line to the throne, was forced to step back from royal duties in late 2019, after a disastrous television interview in which he tried to defend his links to Epstein. 

Public outrage at the time saw several charities and associations distance themselves from him, and he has since repeatedly denied Giuffre's allegations. 

The Duke of York has kept a low profile since he tried to defend his links to the
disgraced US financer Jeffrey Epstein (AFP/Justin Tallis)

He has rarely been seen in public since the television interview. 

On Thursday, he was seen being driven from his house near Windsor Castle, west of London, an AFP photographer said. 

The announcement came after more than 150 Royal Navy, Royal Air Force and British Army veterans wrote to the Queen, calling on her to strip Andrew of his ranks and titles in the armed forces. 

The 95-year-old head of state is commander-in-chief of the army, navy and air force. 

"Were this any other senior military officer it is inconceivable that he would still be in post," the veterans wrote in a joint letter made public by the anti-monarchy pressure group Republic. 

"Officers of the British armed forces must adhere to the very highest standards of probity, honesty and honourable conduct. 

"These are standards which Prince Andrew has fallen well short of," they wrote, adding that he had "brought the services he is associated with into disrepute". 

Senior members of the British royal family have typically been appointed as honorary heads of military units, with the Queen's approval. 

Andrew was honorary colonel of the Grenadier Guards, whose soldiers guard Buckingham Palace in their distinctive bearskin hats and red tunics. 

Royal patronages are associations with charities and other organisations.

Maxwell-Epstein victims 'relieved and grateful' after guilty verdict

France24 – AFP, 30/12/2021 

A photo of Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein presented as evidence
during her trial Handout US District Court for the Southern District of New York/AFP/File

New York (AFP) – Victims of the British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell and her former partner, the late American financier Jeffrey Epstein, welcomed a jury's decision Wednesday finding Maxwell guilty of child sex trafficking. 

"I am so relieved and grateful that the jury recognized the pattern of predatory behavior that Maxwell engaged in," said Annie Farmer, one of four victims to testify in the high-profile trial, in a statement on Twitter. 

"I hope that this verdict brings solace to all who need it and demonstrates that no one is above the law," said Farmer, who was the only woman not to testify under a pseudonym. 

"Even those with great power and privilege will be held accountable when they sexually abuse and exploit the young." 

The 60-year-old Maxwell, daughter of the late British media baron Robert Maxwell, was found guilty in a Manhattan federal court of a series of sex crimes, the most serious being the sex trafficking of a minor, which carries a maximum 40 year sentence. 

Four women testified that between 1994 and 2004, Maxwell recruited and groomed them for sex with Epstein. Two of the women were 14 years old at the time. 

Theresa Helm, another Epstein accuser who did not participate in the trial, described Maxwell as a "master manipulator." 

"Ghislaine Maxwell will never again have the opportunity to take anything from anyone. She will reside on the other side of freedom. Us -- survivors -- we go free," Helm said in a BBC interview. 

Epstein committed suicide in prison two years ago while awaiting his own trial for sex crimes. 

The judge has not yet set a date for Maxwell's sentencing, but the cumulative penalty for her crimes would likely amount to a life sentence. 

Her attorney, Bobbi Sternheim, has already stated that they will appeal. 

Virginia Giuffre, who alleges Epstein lent her out for sex with his wealthy and powerful associates, including Britain's Prince Andrew welcomed the verdict in a statement on Twitter. 

Praising Maxwell's conviction, Giuffre said she "will remember this day always." 

"My heart goes out to the many other girls and young women who suffered," she added. "I hope that today is not the end but rather another step in justice being served." 

The prince has repeatedly denied the allegations by Giuffre, who is sueing him in the United States, saying he does not remember meeting her and "absolutely and categorically did not have sex with her."

Dutch gymnasts accuse coaches of physical and mental abuse

DutchNews, Sport July 27, 2020

The Dutch gymnastics team in Tokyo in 2011, including Joy Goedkoop. Photo:
Robin Utrecht via ANP

A second Dutch coach has been implicated in a widening scandal about the physical abuse of young gymnasts, following revelations made by local paper Noord Hollands Dagblad last week.

Former gymnast Joy Goedkoop has now come forward to say she was physically abused by her coach Vincent Wevers from the age of seven to 12 during training sessions. ‘It did not happen every day,’ Goedkoop told television programme Studio Sport. ‘But being made to feel small, anger and being ignored were daily occurrences,’ she said. 

Last week the NHD published a major report on physical and mental abuse in the world of gymnastics, based on conversations with 10 athletes aged between 18 and 41, several of whom took part in international competitions. 

They spoke about being dragged across the floor, screamed at and forced to climb ropes with bleeding hands in order to win medals. 

The paper also published an interview with coach Gerrit Beltman who admitted he had physically abused and belittled young gymnasts during his career and that he was not the only one to behave in this way. 

Sorry 

My behavior cannot be justified in any way,’ Beltman told the paper. ‘I wanted to win, whatever it cost… and I am now deeply sorry. It was never my intention to deliberately hit, swear or belittle. But it did happen. I thought it the only way to develop a top sport mentality. I blame myself for getting it wrong.’ 

Beltman also said that the Dutch gymnastics association KNGU was aware of what was going on but had failed to take action. 

The KNGU said in a statement on Sunday that it had been urging athletes to report abuse for some time. ‘We can only get to the bottom of what has happened through concrete reports,’ the KNGU said. ‘Every report will be followed up and investigated in depth, and that includes the claims made by Joy Goedkoop.’ 

Both Wevers and the Dutch Olympic Committee NOC*NSF are preparing reactions, broadcaster NOS reported. 

Awards

Wevers is currently the trainer of gymnast twins Sanne and Lieke Wevers. Sanne Wevers won Olympic gold on the beam in 2016, the year in which her father was named sports coach of the year. 

Meanwhile, two other former gymnasts, Stasja Köhler and Simone Heitinga, who published a book about their experiences in 2013, have told the NRC that Beltman’s admission is too little and too late. 

Beltman has also worked in Belgium, Canada and Singapore.

Related Article:

Dutch gymnastics association suspends coaches pending abuse probe

UK politicians 'turned a blind eye' to child sexual abuse for decades

A report into sexual abuse against children by British politicians says that Westminster "actively shielded" suspects from investigation. One of the alleged perpetrators was the private secretary to Margaret Thatcher.

DW, 25 February 2020

Politicians Cyril Smith and David Steel in 1981 (picture-alliance/PA Wire)

British politicians turned a blind eye to the sexual abuse of children and actively covered up allegations over decades, an independent inquiry found on Tuesday.

The inquiry did not find evidence of an organized pedophile network. The inquiry examined the years between the 1960s and the 1990s.

The report found there had been "significant failures by Westminster institutions in their responses to allegations of child sexual abuse."

Read more: Child sex abuse: How long do the statutes of limitations run in the EU?

"This included failure to recognize it, turning a blind eye to it, actively shielding and protecting child sexual abusers and covering up allegations," the report's summary said.

Former Liberal leader David Steel, one of the most influential Liberal politicians of the twentieth century, announced his resignation from the centrist Liberal Democrat party and the House of Lords later on Tuesday. Steel was condemned in the report for failing to act despite knowing about cases of child sexual abuse.

Margaret Thatcher was among those who turned a blind eye to allegations
of child sexual abuse

Politicians 'protected from prosecution'

The 173-page report named several members of parliament, including Peter Morrison and Cyril Smith as being "known or rumored to be active in their sexual interest in children and were protected from prosecution in a number of ways."

Morrison was the private secretary to Margaret Thatcher, the British prime minister in the 1980s.

The report highlighted that Thatcher was aware of Morrison having a "penchant for small boys" but did nothing about it. Similarly, David Steel was aware that Cyril Smith was a serial sex offender but did nothing about it, later recommending him for a knighthood.

The inquiry also found that the police knew enough to prosecute Smith in the 1970s, but were thwarted by senior policemen who thought such a move would be "too political."

Inquiry continues

The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) was set up in 2017 and is expected to take five years to be completed.

The inquiry is one of the largest and most expensive ever undertaken in Britain. The Westminster investigation is one of several investigations underway.

“We hope this report and its recommendations will lead political institutions to prioritize the needs and safety of vulnerable children," said Chair Alexis Jay

Jehovah’s Witness abuse victims unhappy at lack of care, report shows

DutchNews, January 24, 2020 - By Robin Pascoe

Photo: Depositphotos.com

A report by Utrecht University researchers into sexual abuse within the Jehovah’s Witness community in the Netherlands has found that most victims are unhappy at the way their complaints have been dealt with by the church. 

The researchers received 751 reports of abuse, ranging from incest to rape, of which 292 were made by the victims themselves. 

Just 25% of victims said they were satisfied at the way their complaints against the community had been handled and only 27% of cases were ever passed on to the police or other officials. 

Most of the reports related to abuse in the past, with just 32 covering the past 10 years. 

The Dutch branch went to court to try to stop the publication of the report but judges on Thursday ruled that it could be published in the public interest. 

The researchers were commissioned to write a report on behalf of the justice ministry, following claims that sexual abuse claims are hushed up and that victims received no help. 

After the first revelations were published by Trouw in 2017, hundreds of people came forward to report their own abuse stories. 

Justice minister Sander Dekker earlier called for the Jehovah’s Witnesses to set up their own independent inquiry, but the church declined. He then commissioned his own report, the first investigation of its kind ever undertaken into a religious community in the Netherlands. 

Action 

The minister has now criticised the board’s reaction, saying sect officials still deny that they need to take action. The board was shown the main conclusions last December. 

‘Rather than being open and acknowledging what has happened, the community tried to stop publication,’ Dekker said in a briefing to MPs. ‘The fact that so many vulnerable victims feel they are alone, and could not find their way to official help, affects me deeply.’ 

The board is still resisting pressure to set up an independent hotline, Dekker said. ‘I  now want to have a last, urgent meeting with the board to call on them to take over the report’s conclusions,’ he said. 

In their conclusions, the Utrecht researchers have also urged parliament to draft new legislation which would require religious communities to inform the police when they are told about cases of abuse. Dekker did not mention this option in his briefing.

Underage rape probe opened into French author Matzneff

Yahoo – AFP, Eleonore DERMY, January 3, 2020

In the book "Consent", Springora describes how she was seduced at the age
of 14 by Matzneff (AFP Photo/Martin BUREAU)

Paris (AFP) - Paris prosecutors on Friday opened a rape investigation into the author Gabriel Matzneff, a day after the publication of a book detailing his sexual relationship with a girl of 14 over three decades ago.

The case has attracted huge interest in France, which is only now beginning to scrutinise attitudes after decades of what is seen by some as an overly permissive attitude towards sexual exploitation of women and paedophilia.

The probe was launched after an examination of the book "Consent", published on Thursday, where author Vanessa Springora describes a sexual relationship she had with Matzneff in the mid-1980s when he was 36 years her senior, Paris prosecutor Remy Heitz said in a statement.

Heitz said the inquiry would focus on "rapes committed against a minor" aged under 15.

In "Consent", Springora, 47, now a leading publisher, describes how she was seduced at the age of 14 by Matzneff and how this left lasting scars.

Matzneff, an essay writer long admired by some in French literary circles, never made any secret of his preference for sex with adolescent girls and boys.

In the mid-1970s, he published a notorious essay called "Les Moins de Seize Ans" ("Those Less than 16").

'All other victims'

Springora had indicated she did not intend to bring a criminal complaint against Matzneff. But the Paris prosecutors used their power to open an investigation of their own accord.

Heitz said that beyond the events described by Springora, the investigation "will work to identify all other eventual victims who could have been subjected to crimes of the same nature in France or abroad".

In France it is against the law to have a sexual relationship with anyone under the age of 15.

Gabriel Matzneff has denounced Springora's book, saying it attempts to 

portray him as "a pervert, a manipulator and a predator." (AFP Photo/

Jacques DEMARTHON)

It is possible that investigations into Springora's evidence could be restricted by the statute of limitations, which in 2018 was extended to 30 from 20 years for this kind of crime but is not retroactive.

The book comes in the age of #MeToo as France wrestles with a series of accusations by women who say they were exploited by men who often held positions of power.

In one of the most prominent recent cases, French actress Adele Haenel accused film director Christophe Ruggia of constantly harassing her from the age of 12 to 15. She has since filed a complaint against him.

And the controversy has intensified around French-Polish film director Roman Polanski, a fugitive from US justice since 1978 when he admitted to statutory rape of a 13 year-old, after he brought out his new film "An Officer and a Spy".

'Not what we experienced'

Matzneff has denied any wrongdoing and in a lengthy statement sent to the L'Express magazine claimed that there had been an "exceptional love" between him and Springora, and that he did not "deserve the ugly portrait" that had been painted of him.

"No, this is not me, this is not what we experienced together and you know it," said the writer, now 83, denouncing a book that he says tries to portray him as "a pervert, a manipulator and a predator".

In 2013, Matzneff was awarded the Renaudot prize for his essays on international affairs and philosophy, an award one member of the jury has now conceded was a mistake.

"It is clear that he would not have got the prize for one of his intimate journals," jury member Frederic Beigbeder told the Parisien daily. "This prize was a blunder."

In the book Springora writes: "Aged 14, you are not supposed to have a 50-year-old man waiting for you when you leave school, you are not supposed to live in a hotel with him, or find yourself in his bed with his penis in your mouth when you should be having a snack."

Ahead of the book's publication, French ministers rounded on Matzneff, with Culture Minister Franck Riester saying "having a literary aura is not a guarantee of impunity."