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| Gérard Depardieu Photo: Richard Mowe |
French A-lister Gérard Depardieu has been found guilty of sexually assaulting two women on a film set and given a suspended jail term of 18 months. His name will also be added to the French sex offender register.
The 76-year-old actor, who had denied the charges, was accused at the trial in Paris of groping a set dresser and an assistant director while working on The Green Shutters (Les Volets Verts) in 2021. Depardieu's lawyer said he would appeal. He was not in court for the verdict.
The set dresser, Amélie, told reporters outside the court: “For me, this is a victory. Justice has been done.”
Her lawyer Carine Durrieu Diebolt said: “I hope this is the end of impunity for cinema artists. I’ve heard some actors recently still supporting Depardieu. Now with this verdict, no one can say Gérard Depardieu is not a sexual predator, and that’s very important. Today, on the first day of the Cannes Film Festival, I want the cinema world to think of the victims of Gérard Depardieu, and to speak of those victims.”
In court Amélie had said the actor trapped her between his legs on the set and grabbed her buttocks, pubis and chest. She said he had to be pulled off her.
The second woman, who has chosen to retain her anonymity, said she was left "petrified" after Depardieu touched her breasts or buttocks on three separate occasions.
Depardieu was also ordered to pay compensation of €1,000 (£840) to each woman for "secondary victimisation", which refers to the additional suffering for the women stemming from the trial itself. The star is facing additional allegations, including one of rape, which he has repeatedly denied.
- Read Juliette Binoche suggests Depardieu downed by #MeToo
