Process against Depardieu: Sex attacks uncovered during film recordings!

Process against Depardieu: Sex attacks uncovered during film recordings!

Paris, Frankreich - The trial against French actor Gérard Depardieu started this Monday. Two women, a decorator and a director's assistant, accuse him of celebrating sexual assault during the filming of the film "Les Volets Verts" (the Green shutters) in 2021. Despite the severity of the allegations, Depardieu vehemently denies the allegations and is represented by the renowned criminal defense lawyer Jérémie Assouus, who describes it as "completely invented".

The negotiation that takes place before the criminal court in Paris is scheduled for two days. The court has also decided to do without a psychiatric report. The negotiation days are limited to a maximum of six hours, with 15-minute breaks. The process had previously been postponed for health reasons; Depardieu had to present medical reports because he has been suffering from diabetes for over 25 years and has received four times bypass.

The allegations in detail

The lawsuits come from two women. The first plaintiff, a decorator, stated that Depardieu had captured her in a corridor and touched in intimate places. Immediately after the first lawsuit in February 2024, the second plaintiff, a director's assistant, submitted her advertisement for similar allegations in March 2024. These incidents throw a worrying light on dealing with sexual harassment in the film industry, which is already shaped by numerous allegations against Depardieu. Since 2018, he has also been examined in a case that was initiated by the actress Charlotte Arnoad.

In the event of a possible conviction, the actor threatens up to five years of deprivation and a fine of up to 75,000 euros. The judgment is already expected on Tuesday. Depardieu's lawyers require a thorough examination of the allegations and emphasize that there are no direct witnesses for the alleged acts.

contextualization of the allegations

The allegations against depardieu are part of a major problem within the film industry, which is often affected by sexual harassment and discrimination. A survey of the alliance Diversity in the film showed that over 51% of the filmmakers surveyed have experienced discrimination in the past two years, with 81% of the CIS women surveyed experiencing sexual harassment in the workplace. The data illustrate the urgent need for measures that strengthen victim protection and create a safe work environment.

The descriptions of the two plaintiffs are in line with the results of such surveys that show that many affected people are silent for fear of consequences or lack of trust in the institutions. A nuisance was only displayed in every 200th case. These statistics underline the need for binding structures for protection and intervention in cases of harassment and discrimination in the industry, as from the topic trust area

The Gérard Depardieu case can therefore be regarded both as a single event and as part of a widespread problem within the film industry that requires an urgent need for action.

Reporting on this process is intended to help raise awareness of sexual harassment and discrimination in the workplace and to promote the debate in public space.

For more information on the process and the allegations, please read the detailed reports on small newspaper and all-in .