France arrests two filmmakers on sexual abuse charges

The questioning of the two directors over allegations of abuse, some dating back to the 1980s and all denied by them, comes amid claims by activists that cinema has covered up abuse for too long.

An AFP reporter saw Jacquot, 77, and Doillon, 80, arrive at a Paris police station on the morning of July 1 with their lawyer.

Benoit Jacquot, 76, said cinema provided a "cover" for the relationship. Photo: AFP

Earlier this year, actress and director Judith Godreche, 52, formally accused Jacquot of rape and Doillon of sexual assault when she was a minor. Both men denied the allegations.

She described Jacquot as having "unhealthy" sexual relations with her from 1986, when she was 14, to 1992. She also accused Doillon of groping her during an unplanned sex scene in one of his films when she was 15.

Several other actors have also filed complaints against both filmmakers. Isild Le Besco, 41, has accused Jacquot of raping her between 1998 and 2007 in a toxic relationship that began when she was 16 and he was 52.

Julia Roy, a 34-year-old actress who appeared in several of his films, accused him of sexual assault in a "violent and morally charged context spanning years," a source close to the case said.

Le Besco also accused Doillon of making sexual advances during working sessions, while actress Anna Mouglalis accused the filmmaker of forcibly kissing her in 2011.

Sources close to the case said the interrogation of the two directors could include a confrontation with their accusers.

After Godreche called for the creation of a cinema watchdog, in May the French National Assembly voted to create a commission to investigate sexual and gender-based violence in the film industry and other cultural sectors.

The head of France's top film organization, Dominique Boutonnat, resigned on June 28 after being convicted of sexually assaulting his godson in 2020. Film legend Gerard Depardieu, 75, is due to stand trial in October for sexually assaulting two women.

He also faces a second trial after being charged with rape in 2020, after actress Charlotte Arnould accused him of raping her in 2018 when she was 22. He denies the allegations.

Ngoc Anh (according to AFP)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/be-boi-hai-nha-lam-phim-phap-lam-dung-tinh-duc-dien-vien-post302047.html