Jean-Michel Maulpoix’s attorney has expressed difficulty in comprehending the court’s decision, hinting at the possibility that the Strasbourg public prosecutor’s office might appeal against the acquittal of the writer’s spouse.
Jean-Michel Maulpoix, a renowned literary figure and the recipient of the prestigious Goncourt Prize for poetry in 2022, was handed down a sentence of 18 months in prison by the Strasbourg criminal court on Tuesday. The charges pressed against him pertained to domestic violence against his wife. His wife, however, who was also indicted, was acquitted by the court.
The charges against Maulpoix stemmed from several instances of violence, or as Maulpoix himself called them, “regular brawls”, which transpired over a period stretching from January 2020 to August 2023. The court proceedings involved the presentation of audio and video recordings as evidence. The prosecutor had sought an 18-month suspended prison sentence for Maulpoix, and a six-month suspended prison sentence for his wife. The court’s decision, thus, was only a partial alignment with the prosecutor’s request.
Lawyer alleges “double standard”
Speaking to AFP, Maulpoix, aged 71, stated, “We had a completely different attitude, I recognized my guilt, and my wife refused to recognize hers.” He pointed out that this worked to his wife’s advantage as she was not convicted. He further shared that there were several corroborating accounts, including those from their own children, which unambiguously stated that the violence was mutual.
Maulpoix’s lawyer, Clément Dezempte, noted that the court’s dual decision was “difficult to understand”, and cited it as an example of “two weights, two measures”. He expressed his concerns over the decision to acquit Maulpoix’s wife despite several objective elements that, in his opinion, substantiated her guilt.
Annabelle Macé, the wife’s lawyer, refuted this interpretation of the court’s decision. She argued that her client had only caused “defense wounds” to Maulpoix during the violent episodes. She asserted that her client, aged 46, was relieved and satisfied to be recognized as the victim, since she was acquitted on the grounds of “self-defense”.
The Strasbourg public prosecutor’s office has indicated that it is considering the option of appealing the acquittal.
Jean-Michel Maulpoix’s previous conviction
The couple, who are parents to two children aged 14 and 17, are presently in the process of getting a divorce. As per statements from both parties, the violence had begun well before the incidents discussed in court.
In a separate case in 2006, Jean Michel Maulpoix was penalized with a fine for defamation. This conviction was the result of him sharing a testimony related to police violence on his personal website. Maulpoix, a former student of the École Normale Supérieure of Saint-Cloud and an associate professor of letters, currently holds the position of professor emeritus at the University of the Sorbonne Nouvelle.
