Julien Courbet found guilty of complicity in undermining privacy

Julien Courbet, former host of the show no doubt, was sentenced on Thursday December 15 as TF1 to pay several thousand euros to a woman who felt victim of invasion of privacy in a report from 2006.

This is an old story of a decade that has been tried by the court of Caen, this December 15, 2016.
June 23, 2006, as part of the “Mediation” issue Undoubtedly, Julien Courbet and his teams have broadcast a report about a couple living a difficult separation. At the heart of this separation, a 4 year old girl, the former spouses argue. The mother refuses to give it to her ex-husband. The family man, living very poorly this situation, calls for the issuance of TF1 for a solution, and thus see his daughter.
This is the theme of the show no doubt , “bring assistance to people in difficult situations” . To assist in this quest, the method is more than questionable …
The father thinks find information at his former stepmother. On 5 June 2006, equipped with a hidden camera, provided by production, it then goes to the lady in a village in Normandy. He enters the garden, searching the house, in vain. The girl is not there. Meanwhile, his former stepmother contacted the police, to stop the search of his home.
Three days later, Julien Courbet achieves an interview that he has the secret, in live conditions. The stepmother is more or less accused of hiding child. The recording is done without his consent, and despite his protests, part of the exchange will be broadcast on TF1 June 23, 2006.
In the show, despite some rudimentary floutages, it is easy to recognize the garden of this lady, and his vehicle. Recognized by relatives, it considers that the dissemination of this sequence has harmed him, and a complaint against the show, for invasion of privacy. According to his lawyer, ” She was humiliated, presented as a liar.” She would have suffered from this situation professionally.
Several years later, the case is sent in corrections. Lawyers no doubt explain that this survey was conducted to charge and discharge, ” without intent to harm “. For Julien Courbet was the channel that broadcasts the show to ” trap ” that sequence because TF1 had ” the right of life and death” on all subjects .
For the prosecutor, there’s no doubt, recording without prior agreement, and the use of a hidden camera, reflect a lack of consent. According to him, “the garden remains a private place.”
Hence the convictions of the host and producer of the show, Julien Courbet , 6000 euro fine for complicity in undermining privacy. TF1’s boss at the time, Patrick Le Lay, as a broadcaster, he has been sentenced to 3,000 euros for the same reasons. The journalist who had installed the hidden camera was sentenced to 1,500 euros fine, and the father, who was trying by all means to find her 4 year old daughter, has copped his side of 1000 euro fine suspended.
Stepmother, gets 4 000 in damages and 2,000 euros in court costs.