- French film director Benoit Jacquot has been charged with preliminary offences including rape, sexual assault and battery following an investigation.
- The accusations against Mr. Jacott stem from allegations made by several actresses, including Judith Godreche and Isilde Le Besco.
- Ms Godreche, who started the #MeToo movement in France, claims that Jacquot raped and abused her from the age of 14.
A French judge investigating the actresses’ case has filed preliminary charges of rape, sexual assault and battery against the prominent French film director, the Paris prosecutor’s office said on Thursday.
Benoît Jacquot, a director of more than 50 films and television titles, has become one of the most prominent figures in a long-awaited reckoning over sexual violence and physical abuse within and beyond the French film industry.
French actress Judith Godreche has served as a pioneer of the #MeToo movement, alleging that she was raped and physically abused by Jacot during a six-year relationship that began when she was 14. The movement was slow to gain traction until she spoke out publicly earlier this year, giving courage to other actresses to speak out.
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The Paris prosecutor’s office said a judge was investigating accusations against Mr. Jacot made by actress Isilde Le Besco and another actress. A judge presented a set of preliminary charges against him on Wednesday after he was detained for police questioning earlier this week. In France, such charges are filed when a magistrate determines there is significant and accumulated evidence that a crime may have been committed, allowing for further investigation before deciding whether to bring charges.
Benoit Jacquot attends the German premiere of his film “3 Coeurs” during the 14th French Film Week at Kino International in Berlin, Germany, on December 4, 2014. The Paris prosecutor’s office said Thursday that Jacquot has been charged with preliminary charges of rape, sexual assault and battery by a French judge investigating cases involving several actresses. (Clemens Biran/Getty Images)
The Associated Press does not typically identify victims of sexual assault. Ms. Le Besco, 41, has previously spoken publicly on French television, other media and in books about her relationship with the director, who is 35 years older than her, that began when she was a teenager.
In a statement, the prosecutor’s office said Jacquot was charged with raping Ms Le Besco, who was a minor, over a two-year period beginning in 1998. Jacquot was also named as an auxiliary witness – a special capacity under French law – in the case of her partner’s alleged rape of Ms Le Besco over a 10-month period in 2007.
The Associated Press could not confirm whether Paris prosecutors had agreed to releasing the name of the other actress, who they say was raped by Jacot. Her lawyer, Margot Pugliese, did not immediately respond to written and phone requests for comment.
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According to prosecutors, Jaco is accused of raping the actress over a period of one year, beginning in 2013, while they were dating. He is also accused of sexually assaulting her in 2018 while they were dating, and of assaulting her in 2018 and 2019.
According to prosecutors, Jacot had been named as a witness in a case in which his partner accused him of raping the actress between 2014 and 2018.
Prosecutors said Jacot remains free pending further investigation but has been ordered to undergo psychological treatment and is banned from contacting victims or witnesses. He cannot serve as a supervisor or work in any capacity with minors and was ordered to pay bail of 25,000 euros ($27,000).
The 77-year-old Jacquot has so far denied the allegations against him. His lawyer, Julia Minkowski, said in a statement without directly addressing the accusations that the case had received undue media coverage and that the director had not been allowed to see evidence during police questioning, despite French law allowing for this in cases of “serious violations of the presumption of innocence.”
“The investigation is still in its early stages and it was premature to submit it to the investigating judge,” the lawyers’ statement said.
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She denounced the ban that prevents Mr. Jacot from working as a director and also restricts his public appearances.
“This is not simply a professional ban but a practical judicial revocation based on an early stage investigation, before any judgement has been reached. We will of course appeal,” she said.
Another French manager, Jacques Doillon, 80, was also taken in for police questioning but later released for health reasons, the Paris prosecutor’s office said.
Godreche has accused Doillon of sexually abusing him when he was 15 while he was directing a film – an allegation Doillon has previously denied.
