Sexual assault charges against French actor Depardieu
(MENAFN) Veteran French actor Gérard Depardieu was found guilty on Tuesday of sexually assaulting two women during a 2021 film shoot in Paris. The 76-year-old received an 18-month suspended prison sentence and was ordered to pay over €29,000 ($32,650) in compensation to the victims. Additionally, his name has been added to France’s national sex offender registry.
This is the most prominent conviction for sexual misconduct in the French film industry since the emergence of the global #MeToo movement. Despite denying the allegations, Depardieu has faced more than 20 claims of sexual misconduct in recent years, although most were dismissed due to insufficient evidence or legal time limits. He is also still under investigation for an alleged rape involving actress Charlotte Arnould, who filed a complaint in 2018.
One victim, known as Amelie K., testified that Depardieu grabbed her waist and groped her while making lewd comments. The second woman, a 34-year-old assistant director, reported being touched inappropriately on three occasions during the filming of Les Volets Verts (The Green Shutters).
During the trial in March, Depardieu admitted to grabbing one of the women during a heated moment on set but insisted he had no sexual intent. He acknowledged using crude language, attributing it to generational differences in behavior.
Amelie’s lawyer, Carine Durrieu Diebolt, welcomed the ruling, stating, “This ends the culture of impunity for actors. No one can now claim Gérard Depardieu is not a sexual predator.”
Depardieu, who was absent from the court due to filming commitments in the Azores, plans to appeal the decision. In the past, he had received public support from actress Brigitte Bardot, who has yet to comment on the conviction.
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