Well-known French director charged with rape | The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

PARIS – A French judge has filed preliminary charges against a prominent French film director for rape, sexual assault and violence in a case involving female actors, the Paris prosecutor’s office said Thursday.

Benoît Jacquot, who has directed more than 50 films and television series since the 1970s, has become one of the most prominent figures in a late-stage reappraisal of the problems of sexual violence and physical abuse within and outside the French film industry.

French actress Judith Godrèche claims Jacquot raped and physically abused her during a six-year relationship that began when she was 14. She has taken a leading role in initiating the #MeToo wave, a movement that struggled to gain ground before she spoke out publicly earlier this year and encouraged other actors to do the same.

Prosecutors in Paris said the judge investigating the allegations against Jacquot – made by actor Isild Le Besco and another actor whom the Associated Press is not naming – presented him with a set of preliminary charges on Wednesday after he was detained for police questioning earlier this week. In France, such charges are brought when a judge concludes there is serious and conclusive evidence that crimes may have been committed, allowing further investigation before deciding whether to press charges.

The Associated Press does not normally release the names of victims of sexual violence. Le Besco, 41, has already spoken publicly on French television and other media, as well as in a book, about her relationship with the director, who is 35 years her senior, which began when she was still a teenager.

A statement from prosecutors said Jacquot was charged with raping Le Besco when she was a minor. The rape occurred over a two-year period beginning in 1998. Jacquot was also named as an assisted witness, a special status under French law, for the alleged rape of Le Besco by a partner that lasted for 10 months in 2007.

The Associated Press could not confirm whether the other actor, named by Paris prosecutors as another of Jacquot’s alleged rape victims, agrees to be publicly identified. The actor’s lawyer, Margot Pugliese, did not immediately respond to written and telephone requests for comment.

Prosecutors said Jacquot was charged with raping the actress in 2013 during a year-long relationship. He was also charged with sexually abusing the actress in 2018, when they were still together, and with violence against her in 2018 and 2019.

Jacquot was also named as an assisted witness in connection with the actor’s alleged rape by a partner from 2014 to 2018, prosecutors said.

Jacquot will remain free pending further investigations, but must undergo psychological treatment, prosecutors said. He is also prohibited from contacting his alleged victims and witnesses. He is also prohibited from working as a director or in any other capacity with minors. He was also sentenced to a $27,000 bail.

Jacquot, 77, has previously denied the allegations against him. In a statement that did not directly address the charges, Jacquot’s lawyer Julia Minkowski said the case had received too much media attention and that the director had not been given access to the evidence when questioned by police, even though French law allows this “in cases of blatant violations of the presumption of innocence.”

“The investigation is still at an early stage and it was extremely premature to submit it to an investigating judge,” the lawyer said in a statement.

FILE “- Me Too” director Judith Godreche, center, poses with her hands over her mouth as she arrives at the premiere of the film “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” at the 77th Cannes International Film Festival in Cannes, southern France, Wednesday, May 15, 2024. French film director Benoit Jacquot, who has been accused by several actors of sexual assault and violent, controlling behavior, including when his alleged victims were teenagers, has been provisionally charged with rape, sexual assault and violence by a French judge investigating the case, the Paris prosecutor’s office said Thursday, July 4, 2024. Godrèche, who claims Jacquot raped and physically abused her in a six-year relationship that began when she was 14, has taken a leading role in sparking the #MeToo wave, struggling for traction before she spoke out and encouraged other actors to do the same. (Photo by Andreea Alexandru/Invision/AP, File)

FILE – Actress Judith Godreche, center, waves during a gathering in the Plaza de la République at a protest against the far right, Wednesday, July 3, 2024, in Paris. French film director Benoit Jacquot, who is accused by several actors of sexual assault and violent, controlling behavior, including when his alleged victims were teenagers, has been provisionally charged with rape, sexual assault and violence by a French judge investigating the case, the Paris prosecutor’s office said Thursday, July 4, 2024. Godrèche, who claims Jacquot raped and physically abused her in a six-year relationship that began when she was 14, has taken a leading role in sparking the #MeToo wave, struggling for traction before speaking out and encouraging other actors to do likewise. (AP Photo/Thomas Padilla, File)