(Paris) The Paris prosecutor’s office has requested a trial against director Christophe Ruggia for aggravated sexual assault on actress Adèle Haenel when she was a young teenager, AFP learned from sources close to the case on Thursday, confirming information from RMC.
“We do not wish to make any comment”, reacted Messrs Fanny Colin and Orly Rezlan, lawyers of the director joined by AFP, on the subject of this development concerning the file which had caused an earthquake in 2019 in French cinema, remained until -there impervious to the #MeToo movement.
“After being upset by the story of Judith Godrèche”, who filed a complaint on Tuesday and obtained the opening of a preliminary investigation targeting the directors Benoît Jacquot and Jacques Doillon, “I learned today of the indictment of the prosecutor requesting the dismissal of Christophe Ruggia” on trial, indicated Mme Haenel in a statement to Mediapart.
“To read in this indictment that the facts are sufficiently characterized, corroborated by testimonies and that my statements are constant, precise and crude touches me a lot. It is a step in the legal process but, obviously, it is important,” added the actress.
The actress’s lawyers, Mare Yann Le Bras and Anouck Michelin have not commented.
According to these sources close to the case, two aggravating circumstances are retained by the prosecution: the minority of Adèle Haenel at the time of the alleged facts, from the age of 12, and the position of authority of Mr. Ruggia, who is the first director who made it shoot, in the film Devils (2002).
Then aged 36 to 39, he received it every Saturday afternoon for almost three years, from September 2001 to February 2004.
In a long investigation and interview with Mediapart, which revealed the affair, the actress denounced the “control” of the director, little known to the general public, during the preparation and shooting of the film.
Then “permanent sexual harassment”, repeated “touching” and “forced kisses on the neck”, which allegedly took place at his home and during several international festivals.
Initially refusing to take legal action, Adèle Haenel finally filed a complaint a few days after the opening of a preliminary investigation by the Paris prosecutor’s office on November 6, 2019.
Christophe Ruggia was indicted on January 16, 2020 for “sexual assault on a minor aged 15 by a person having authority over the victim”, and placed under judicial supervision.