The Evreux prosecutor clarified to franceinfo on Friday that no criminal classification has been made at this stage and called for “the greatest caution”.
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The launch of the hashtag #MeTooGarçons triggered by the speech of actor Aurélien Wiik is accompanied by several hundred testimonies on social networks from men victims of sexual violence. Among them, Francis Renaud, starring in several Olivier Marchal films. Friday March 1, the Evreux prosecutor confirmed to franceinfo that an investigation against X had been opened after the actor’s complaint, without retaining criminal qualifications at this stage. Rémi Coutin also called “with the greatest caution” on this matter, also emphasizing that “the question of prescription arose”. On February 22, the actor announced on X that he had filed a complaint against casting director Gérard Moulevrier and filmmaker André Téchiné for sexual harassment, sexual assault and death threats.
Never suffer.
Never forget.
Never be silent. #metoo #abuse of power @academiedescesar #omerta #sexual harassment pic.twitter.com/2bV3pJWzMw— Francis Renaud (@FrancisRenaud1) February 22, 2024
The French director, now 80 years old, wrote a message sent by his council to franceinfo in which he explains the accusations against him. “I am obviously sorry that he was embarrassed by my sentimental, awkward verbal approach at that lunch, he writes. I was of course wrong, at the time, in not being able to perceive that our relationship was not on an equal footing in his eyes because of my status as director. On the other hand, I can only express my incomprehension today regarding this filing of a criminal complaint.”
Julia Minkowski, the director’s lawyer, explained to franceinfo that“beyond the clearly prescribed nature of what is denounced, nothing relates to any criminal qualification. It is, according to the writings of Francis Renaud himself, a single verbal advance without a sexual character, without “no insistence and at a time when they had a relationship that he describes as warm for a year, not a professional collaboration.”
For his part, Céline Bekerman, the lawyer of Gérard Moulevrier, the casting director also implicated, clarified to franceinfo that “regarding Francis Renaud’s statements, they are hotly contested and all the more incomprehensible given that Gérard Moulevrier always had sympathy for him and worked for his career. Finally, Gérard Moulevrier does not hold the strings of cinema, for use the words of this comedian, nor blacklist anyone.” Contacted by franceinfo, Francis Renaud did not wish to comment on the subject. But The Parisian recalls that the actor had published a book in 2018, Rage in the heartin which he recounted an episode of his life with a “supercasting director”.