Celebrity osteopath jailed for rape and sex assault
France's "doctor to the stars", Pierre Pallardy, has been sentenced to 10 years in jail for raping and sexually assaulting female patients. The osteopath, who counted Pablo Picasso and Rudolf Nureyev among his patients, denied the accusations throughout his three-week trial.
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Nineteen woman accused Pallardy, 72, of unwanted sexual attention and he was found guilty of five instances or rape and seven of sexual assault.
Prosecutors called for a 12-year sentence but he was jailed for 10.
The defence slammed the verdict, claiming that no "objective proof" had been provided.
His wife, Florence, told the court that the charges were baseless since Pallardy had been impotent since 2003 because of a prostate problem.
The celebrity osteopath, who has written several bestsellers and founded wellness centres, was not prosecuted after an initial complaint in 2004 but he was arresed in 2006.
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