A Paris appeals court ruled the former Canal+ journalist’s appeal out of time. He did not seek review by the Court of Cassation, making the two-month suspended sentence final on September 1.
The two-month suspended prison sentence imposed on former Canal+ journalist Pierre Ménès for sexual assault has become final after the Paris Court of Appeal ruled his appeal inadmissible because it was filed after the deadline. Radio France’s news agency reported the development on October 6, citing a judicial source.
The Paris criminal court convicted Ménès on April 19, 2023. He did not appeal to the Court of Cassation, so the conviction became final on September 1, 2026. The lower court found him guilty of some of the acts alleged by a saleswoman at a shop on the Champs-Élysées; the reported events occurred about five years before the ruling.
At trial, the complainant described unwanted touching and physical contact. The final conviction applies to the acts established by the court; allegations beyond the judgment should not be treated as proven. The ruling’s finality means the ordinary appeal period has expired.