Bassussarry – 24 July 2026: At a practice in the small town of Bassussarry near Bayonne, treatment appointments for several female patients are alleged to have turned into situations they later described to police and judicial authorities. According to Franceinfo, an osteopath working there has now been formally charged on suspicion of rape and sexual assaults. The investigation is continuing under judicial supervision.
According to information disclosed so far, several female patients had filed complaints. Six women had already approached investigators with allegations in early July. One complaint concerns suspected rape, while the others concern suspected sexual assaults by a person deriving particular authority from his professional position. The specific allegations must now be examined as part of the investigation.
According to the broadcaster, the women reported hypnosis and a feeling of submission during or in connection with the sessions. Such accounts form part of the case file and are not judicial findings. What happened during the individual treatments will therefore need to be carefully established by investigators, experts and the investigating judicial authorities.
The accused had operated his practice in Bassussarry, a municipality in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department. He was previously active in local politics for the then Front National and had played rugby before that. These biographical details are unrelated to the allegations; the only decisive question is whether the accusations against him can be substantiated in court.
On 6 July, the man was questioned by police in Bayonne and taken into custody. The measure was ended after around 24 hours for medical reasons. His now disclosed formal charge does not mean that his guilt has been established. The presumption of innocence applies until a final judgment is handed down.
For the women concerned, the legal classification often marks only the beginning of a long process. Statements about intimate treatment situations must be reconstructed precisely, while memories of the appointments may also be deeply distressing. The proceedings therefore place high demands on sensitive investigative work, the protection of the alleged victims and the rights of the defence.
The public prosecutor’s office and the investigating judicial authorities must now determine whether other possible victims need to be identified and what evidence supports each allegation. No information on a possible trial date was initially disclosed. The case once again draws attention to the special relationship of trust between female patients and practitioners – and to the duty to thoroughly investigate boundary violations in such situations.
Sources
- Franceinfo
- Mediabask