French MeToo: Director Benoit Jacquot accused of raping two actors

A French judge on Wednesday charged well-known film director Benoit Jacquot with the alleged rape of actors Julia Roy and Isild Le Besco in the sensational #MeToo case, the AP news agency reported.

The case has rocked France as a series of allegations have been made in the French film industry against men who critics say have long covered up abusive behavior.

Jacquot, 77, and another filmmaker, 80-year-old Jacques Doillon, were arrested on Monday over alleged sexual abuse of younger actresses in their films. Both deny the charges.

Judith Godreche, 52, filed a lawsuit earlier this year accusing Jacquot of raping her during a relationship that began in the 1980s when she was 14 and he was 25 years older. While no charges were filed in her case due to the statute of limitations, Roy, 34, and Le Besco, 41, accused Jacquot of sexual assault and rape.

Roy, who appeared in four of Jacquot’s films between 2016 and 2021, alleged sexual harassment. Le Besco accused him of rape during a harmful relationship that began when she was a minor and Jacquot was 52.

The judge charged Jacquot with “marital rape” against Roy during a relationship in 2013 and “rape of a minor” against Le Besco between November 1, 1998 and November 21, 2000. Le Besco was 15 years old at the start of this period.

Jacquot will be further investigated for the alleged marital rape of Roy between 2014 and 2018 and Le Besco in 2007. He will be released under judicial supervision, barred from contact with plaintiffs and witnesses and from any work with minors. He is also prohibited from working as a director or appearing in public in that capacity. His lawyer, Julia Minkowski, plans to appeal, saying this would amount to a “judicial annulment” due to incomplete investigations.

Jacquot, who denies the allegations, cooperated with investigators. Roy’s lawyer described the charges as “important” for her client, while Le Besco’s lawyer expressed his satisfaction that the judiciary had recognized the seriousness of the allegations.

Doillon, the other director, was released on medical grounds on Tuesday, but decisions on further action are pending, even as the allegations against him have escalated. Godreche had accused Doillon of sexual harassment when she was 15. Other allegations include inappropriate advances and violent behavior toward actresses.

Lawyer Laure Heinich, who represents Godreche, filed another lawsuit against Doillon on behalf of Joe Rohanne, a non-binary transsexual, alleging rape and abuse. Le Monde reported further accusations of rape and attempted rape against Jacquot by two other women.

Godreche, who has become a major voice in France’s #MeToo movement, said on Instagram that she felt “heard” after charges were brought against Jacquot, even though her own case did not result in charges. Her activism led to the creation of a commission to investigate sexual and gender-based violence in cultural sectors.

Recent legal progress in similar cases includes the resignation of Dominique Boutonnat, the head of France’s largest film institution, after he was convicted of sexually abusing his godson in 2020. Gérard Depardieu, 75, will also face trial in October on allegations of sexual harassment dating to 2018, which he denies.

(with input from agencies)