French director Benoît Jacquot is accused of rape

French film director Benoît Jacquot was charged on Wednesday with the rape of actresses Julia Roy and Isild Le Besco several years ago, the Paris public prosecutor’s office said.

Jacquot, 77, is one of two directors facing a wave of #MeToo allegations that have rocked the French film industry since actress Judith Godrèche admitted he raped her during an abusive relationship that began when she was 14 and he was 39.

Following Ms Godrèche’s allegations, Roy, 34, and Le Besco, 41, publicly accused Mr Jacquot of keeping them in similarly abusive relationships and of sexually abusing them when they starred in his films as much younger actresses.

Ms. Le Besco has accused Mr. Jacquot of raping her between the ages of 16 and 25. Ms. Roy, who appeared in some of Mr. Jacquot’s films between 2016 and 2021, had accused him of sexual and physical abuse.

Mr Jacquot and the other accused director, Jacques Doillon, 80, were taken into police custody for questioning on Monday.

Both men have denied any wrongdoing.

Mr Doillon was released on Tuesday on medical grounds and without charge, the Paris prosecutor’s office said. However, the court is still examining how to proceed with his case. Ms Godrèche has accused Mr Doillon of sexually harassing her twice.

The charges against Ms Roy are related to allegations that Mr Jacquot raped her in 2013. He was also accused of physically and sexually abusing her between 2018 and 2019. The rape allegations against Ms Le Besco relate to the years 1998 to 2000, when she turned 18.

Mr Jacquot, whose films include “A Single Girl” and “Farewell, My Queen,” was released on Wednesday on 25,000 euro (about $27,000) bail and under strict conditions.

The investigating judge issued an injunction banning Mr Jacquot from having any contact with the women who accused him, requiring him to undergo psychological counselling and prohibiting him from working with minors. He was also banned from working as a director, the Paris prosecutor’s office said, and from “making public appearances related to the activities that led to the commission of the crimes for which he is being investigated”.

Mr Jacquot’s lawyer, Julia Minkowski, was not immediately available for comment on Wednesday evening. In a statement to Agence France-Presse, she described the restrictions as a disproportionate “judicial annulment” of her client and announced that he would appeal against the charges.

The allegations Ms. Godrèche made against Mr. Jacquot were time-barred. “But I feel heard by this decision,” Ms. Godrèche said on Instagram on Wednesday after prosecutors said they planned to bring charges against Mr. Jacquot.

In France, prosecutors can bring charges in complex criminal cases, but cases are ultimately handled by special judges with extensive investigative powers who bring charges against defendants if they believe the evidence points to serious wrongdoing. Judges can later drop charges if they believe the evidence is insufficient to go to trial.