The Franco-American pianist Jacky Terrasson, well known for his work on the Blue Note label, has been accused of raping a six-year-old girl, according to a report published 18 March by France Culture. The alleged offence is said to have taken place in 2015 while the girl accompanied her musician father on a tour with Terrasson, who is said to be a family friend. Three charges have been levelled – by the girl, now 16, and both her parents. Terrasson has firmly rejected the allegations.
The accusations, made in September 2025, were heard in a Bordeaux court in late 2025 and gave rise to an open letter, signed by around 600 people from the French jazz scene and published 8 March by Citizen Jazz. The letter, described by Libération as a kind of Jazz Me Too, expresses concern following legal action “involving one of the prominent musicians in our field for alleged sexual offences involving minors”. The signatories say they have for years been witness to problematic conduct that now needs to be spoken of, rejecting the idea that sexual abuse is an inevitable and acceptable part of the artistic life. However, Marjolaine Portier-Kaltenbach of Club Jazzafip takes a more cynical stance, asserting that “among the 600 or so signatories, there are undoubtedly a number of predators” and asking “Is this a way for them to buy a clear conscience on the cheap?”
The matter came to light in March 2025 after the alleged victim was treated for post-traumatic stress disorder at a Bordeaux hospital. In accordance with French law, the incident was referred to the procureur for investigation. Radio France says that according to the plaintiff’s lawyer, Cécile Boulé, the plaintiff had not felt able to report the alleged offence earlier: “She told herself: ‘I can’t speak because he is well known. I can’t speak because he is part of my close family circle and it will destroy everyone. And because I, a little thing who is very, very insecure, am not going to be believed by anyone.'” However, the girl’s mother wanted to end the silence, telling France Musique “It’s sadly a reality. The words of the unknown are worth nothing compared to those of the famous. It was necessary for a child to be affected that way for things to boil over and for it to be talked about.”
Radio France reports that Terrasson’s lawyer, Emmanuel Daoud, regrets what he calls the established cycle of “baseless opportunist accusations, fed by pseudo revelations” and says it would be useful to remember the presumption of innocence, “a cardinal legal principle that often seems to be forgotten”. However, the same article, updated 19 March, reports an accusation by a female musician against Terrasson: that at a festival in La Rochelle he launched himself on to her, “literally like a kangaroo”. The legal enquiry continues.
