Gérard Depardieu, the once-revered French actor, saw his conviction for the sexual assault of two women erased by a Paris appellate court. These assaults took place while filming Les Volets Verts in 2021. The court imposed an 18-month suspended prison sentence. This ruling represents a historically important development within the French film industry, following the wave of #MeToo. This lawsuit is being viewed as a first major test of how our society responds to the reckoning with sexual misconduct against powerful men.
After a bellwether trial, the court arrived at its conclusion. Depardieu was accused of violent assaults by a 54-year-old costume designer and a 34-year-old assistant. This ruling strikes a significant blow to the actor’s reputation. Now he is confronting serious misconduct allegations from over 20 different women. With the verdict in hand, Depardieu was forced to pay restitution to both victims. He was awarded payment for €1,000 for moral damages and €2,000 for psychological effect of the attacks.
In addition to suspending Depardieu’s sentence, the court slapped him with further punishments — including a hefty fine. In addition to a two-year disqualification from contesting an election, he is required to register in the national automated registry of sexual offenders. The verdict was delivered in Depardieu’s absence, with the actor failing to appear for the hearing.
In the four-day trial, which took place over March 4 to March 7, Depardieu adamantly rejected the allegations, claiming, “I’m not that kind of person.” Paris’ public prosecutor even advised convicting him, even though Paris was culpably denied by him. If convicted, he would receive an 18-month suspended prison sentence and a fine of €20,000.
Carine Durrieu-Diebolt, a substantive figure within the world French cinema seemed to react to ruling.
“I hope this is the end of impunity for an artist in the film industry.” – Carine Durrieu-Diebolt
Durrieu-Diebolt pointed out that this decision marks a turning point in the prevailing climate around Depardieu’s behavior.
“With this decision, we can no longer say (that Gérard Depardieu) is not a sexual abuser.” – Carine Durrieu-Diebolt
Beyond her own case, she provided her support to other victims. So many of them found it difficult to even speak out due to legal barriers.
“My thoughts are with the other victims who are under the statute of limitations and with the four victims who took the stand.” – Carine Durrieu-Diebolt
Depardieu’s case has led to fierce divisions among the French film establishment. Others are fiercely opposed to him. On the flip side, some view this ruling as a major step towards holding the industry accountable. He is currently working to appeal his conviction. This high-profile case has been the focal point of a much-discussed and needed dialogue surrounding sexual misconduct and its consequences in all industries.
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