French prosecutors want to quiz British woman over alleged rape by Pippa Middleton’s father-in-law

According to information obtained by The Mail on Sunday, French prosecutors want to interview a British woman within the scope of the rape investigation against Pippa Middleton’s father-in-law.

Former racing driver and entrepreneur David Matthews, 81, is accused of grooming and assaulting a 15-year-old girl on the French Caribbean island of St Barts in 1998 and raping her in Paris a year later.

France is understood to have formally requested that the Ministry of Internal Affairs arrange a meeting with the woman, and not the victim, as a potential witness.

A source from the Paris prosecutor’s office said: ‘The criminal investigation continues. Requests for international assistance continue with British authorities.’

Other sources in the French capital say prosecutors appear determined to conclude the case this year.

A fourth female investigating judge was appointed to oversee the case last September and was said to have ‘gave new impetus to the investigation’.

Next month will mark eight years since multimillionaire Matthews was arrested at Paris Orly airport as he and his wife, Jane, 77, stepped off a plane from St Barts, where he owned Eden Rock, a luxury resort. Although the investigation was delayed due to Covid, it is unclear why it continued for so long.

Following his arrest, Matthews was charged with ‘rape of a minor by a person who has authority over his victim’, which carries a maximum prison sentence of 15 years in France.

Picture: James Matthews (left) with wife Pippa Middleton (centre) on their wedding day in May 2017, with the groom’s father David Matthews (right)

He has since cooperated fully with prosecutors and has been interviewed numerous times. He vehemently denies the allegations.

The alleged victim, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, is British and is now in his 40s. At the time of Mr. Matthews’ arrest, the statute of limitations on a rape case in France was 20 years, which could have made the charges inadmissible.

In 2018, the limit for cases under the age of 18 was increased to 30 years. A spokesperson for Matthews said at the time that he “categorically denies the allegation and firmly disputes the untrue and scandalous accusation.”

A family source insisted following Matthews’ arrest that he had been ‘set up’ to humiliate him and his family, just months after financier son James married Prince William’s sister-in-law Pippa in 2017.

In an interview with The Mail on Sunday, a year later, the alleged victim’s father said he was deeply hurt by his daughter’s attempt to portray herself as a fantasy.

‘The idea that he did this for compensation or for any reason other than a desire for justice is completely false,’ he added. He said his daughter confided in her family three years ago.

‘He said to me, ‘You don’t know what I’ve been through all these years.’ Then everything came out.’

He added: ‘We are all behind him and believe in him. ‘He had the courage to speak out and he did, and he feels that by doing so he can give himself some sense of closure.’

David Mathews (left) with his son James in St Barts in 1998 – the year the first of the alleged crimes took place

David Matthews (left) with wife Jane (right) and son Spencer (centre) in London in September 2016

Before David Matthews’ arrest, the gilded Matthews clan’s worst moments came courtesy of their younger son Spencer, who is normally married to Irish media star Vogue Williams.

Spencer once embarrassed his family by bragging about his drug use, orgies and having 1,000 sex partners. He has been labeled as the idiot of reality TV show Made In Chelsea.

His father, David, the son of a Yorkshire coal miner, is a self-made man who holds the title of Laird of Glen Affric (a 10,000-acre Scottish estate) and has homes in London, France and St Barts.

A spokesman for David Matthews declined to comment.