French Actor Gerard Depardieu Should Face Trial for Rape Allegations

French actor Gérard Depardieu should face trial in a criminal court for allegedly raping and assaulting a young actress in 2018, the Paris prosecutor’s office announced on Thursday.

The prosecutor’s office confirmed the decision, stating that they have requested Depardieu, 75, be tried for rape by digital penetration and sexual assault. This case has drawn significant attention as Depardieu is one of France’s top movie stars. He has consistently denied any wrongdoing. Attempts to contact his lawyers on Thursday were unsuccessful.

The allegations come from actress Charlotte Arnould. She claims Depardieu assaulted her at his Paris home on August 7 and 13, 2018, when she was 22 years old. Arnould initially filed a complaint in 2018, accusing Depardieu of raping her. However, the initial proceedings were dropped because the evidence was deemed insufficient. In 2020, she filed a new complaint, prompting a re-examination of the case and leading to a new investigation.

The Paris prosecutor’s office requested a trial in a final indictment on August 14. It is now up to an investigating judge to decide if the trial will proceed. Depardieu was first indicted in December 2020 for rape and sexual assault.

The actor has been at the center of multiple sexual assault allegations over recent years, affecting his public image and igniting discussions about sexual conduct in France. Despite this, he has consistently denied any misconduct.

In addition to the 2018 allegations, Depardieu is scheduled to be tried in October for alleged sexual assaults against two women during a 2021 film shoot for the movie “The Green Shutters”. He has denied these charges as well.

Another woman filed a complaint in January regarding alleged sexual assaults during the shooting of the 2015 short film “The Magician and the Siamese” in 2014. However, these proceedings were closed in April due to France’s statute of limitations, which allows adult victims six years to bring claims of sexual assault.

Source: USA Today, Reuters