The prosecution in Paris has announced that a complaint of sexual assault against Gérard Depardieu has been dismissed due to the expiration of the statute of limitations.
In 2007, during the filming of Disco, French actor Hélène Darras filed a complaint stating that Depardieu had allegedly groped and propositioned her. The complaint was filed last year.
Darras was among 13 women who made allegations of sexual misconduct against Depardieu in an investigative report published on the French website Mediapart in April 2023. She submitted her complaint in September after being interviewed as part of the investigation.
She mentioned at the time that it took her a year to transition from discussing what had happened to filing a criminal complaint.
She stated that entering a police station and reporting that someone has touched your private areas is not an easy task and requires time to consider.
However, Darras stated that she had intended to reply to the defense’s attempt to downplay our accusations by stating that they are simply witness testimonies.
75-year-old Depardieu has been accused of rape and sexual misconduct by multiple women, which he denies. In October 2023, he wrote an open letter in the French newspaper Le Figaro to defend himself, stating that he has never mistreated a woman.
Last month, 56 French actors, such as Carla Bruni and Charlotte Rampling, wrote a public letter in the conservative French newspaper Le Figaro, expressing their support for Depardieu and denouncing what they saw as a public attack on him.
The lawyers representing Darras and Depardieu were not immediately reachable for any statements.
During a France 2 interview for a documentary about Depardieu, Darras claimed that he had touched her hips and buttocks and invited her into his dressing room, despite her repeated refusals.
In 2020, Depardieu faced charges of rape and sexual assault, brought forward by fellow actor Charlotte Arnould for incidents that occurred in 2018. He has maintained his innocence and the legal proceedings are currently ongoing.
Arnould’s attorney has also requested that Paris prosecutors look into a recording of Depardieu making offensive remarks about women while on a filming trip to North Korea. The recording was eventually given to France 2 and aired in a documentary.
Ruth Baza, a Spanish journalist and author, recently filed a criminal complaint in Spain against Depardieu, alleging that he raped her in Paris almost thirty years ago.
The accusation is unlikely to result in legal consequences because of the time limit set by French law. However, Baza explained that she chose to proceed in the hopes of encouraging others to speak out.
Accusations of sexual assault against Depardieu have sparked a cultural battle in France, causing a divide within the film industry and creating conflict between feminist organizations and those supporting the actor, including Emmanuel Macron.
Last month, the president of France stated that Depardieu should be presumed innocent, referring to him as a talented actor who brings pride to France. The president also expressed that Depardieu is now being unfairly pursued.
Macron has recently acknowledged that he did not adequately emphasize the significance of the words spoken by women who are victims of this type of violence.
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This report includes contributions from Agence-France Presse.
Source: theguardian.com
