Two indictments have been made in a French court for the publication of Kate Middleton's now-infamous topless photo scandal.
Closer, the first media outlet to release the controversial images, has been under criminal investigation since September, but AFP now reports that two key players have been indicted: Ernesto Mauri, Chief Executive of Mondadori France (publisher of Closer) and a photographer of La Provence, a regional newspaper.
The controversial photos, believed to have been snapped with a long lens camera, depict Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge sunbathing while on holiday in the south of France. Soon after their release, St. James's Palace sought damages from Closer and managed to halt further publication of the images in France.
Mauri is charged with "invasion of privacy" while the paparazzi who snapped the topless photos remains unnamed. However, photographer Valerie Suau has been charged for photos of the duchess in her swimsuit which also ran in the press.
The French court in Nanterre will reach a decision on June 5th, but the end result will have little effect on Closer, according to Metro France, since the tabloid has been complicit with the court's previous rulings. Of course, this lawsuit doesn't encompass the various international titles which also published the pictures, including Italy's Chi, Ireland's Daily Star and Denmark's Se og Hør. (British publications agreed not to publish them.)
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