Eleven women who accused former French modeling agency boss Gerald Marie of sexual misconduct and rape have been invited to Paris to meet with investigators, in the next step of a criminal investigation.
The women, who are based around the world, are expected to fly to Paris together in the coming weeks to be questioned by the Paris Brigade de Protection des Mineurs, the city police’s department of child protection.
Marie, who is now in her 70s and lives in Spain, has vehemently denied the allegations, including two of women who say he raped them when they were minors. Allegedly, all the alleged incidents took place in the 1980s and 1990s.
Several of the women now preparing to travel to France were among 16 accused who spoke to the Guardian last year about Marie, who was one of the most powerful men in the fashion industry.
The request, sent to the women by a French police investigator, said a personal meeting would enable them to formally submit signed evidence and allow the investigation to proceed.
There has been criticism of the French law enforcement authorities over their handling of sexual assault investigations involving minors, after several high-profile cases did not lead to prosecution.
Anne-Claire Le Jeune, the lawyer representing Marie’s alleged victims, said: ‘This is an important first step and shows that the French authorities are taking the allegations seriously.’
Prosecutors in France began their investigation into Marie in September last year, initially over allegations of four women. These include Carré Otis, a top model in the 90s, who claims that Marie – who was then the European boss of the Elite modeling agency – repeatedly raped her when she was 17 years old.
According to her, the abuse took place when she lived in the savings room of the apartment in 1986, which he shared with Marie’s then wife, the supermodel Linda Evangelista.
Since then, eight more women have submitted their testimony to the French prosecutor, bringing it to 12. The Guardian understands 11 have received formal invitations to travel to Paris, while the 12th is expected to be contacted in the coming week.
Marie’s lawyers did not respond to a request for comment on the latest developments in the investigation. However, they have previously denied all allegations against him, saying he is “extremely affected” by the allegations and will fight the criminal case.
“He intends to take an active part in the revelation of the truth within the scope of the public criminal investigation,” they said.
One of the women planning to travel to Paris is Shawna Lee, a former Canadian model who earlier told the Guardian that Marie raped her in 1992 when she was 15, also in the apartment he shared with Evangelista shared in Paris.
There is no suggestion that Evangelista was aware of any of these allegations at the time, and she has since praised the “courage and strength” by women who now accuse her ex-husband.
Lee said the decision to interview her and the other accused feels like a ‘very important’ step. “I am proud of myself and the other women who had the courage to speak out and to help girls change going forward,” she said.
A Paris police spokesman said: “As this is an ongoing investigation, we can not give you any information.”
The women are expected to travel to Paris as soon as Covid’s restrictions are lifted. Le Jeune said the women plan to arrive in Paris at the same time “to make an impact and make them aware of the matter”.