Benoit Jacquot | Photo credit: Tobias Schwarz
A prominent French film director has been charged with preliminary rape, sexual assault and violence by a French judge investigating a case involving female actors, the Paris prosecutor’s office said on Thursday.
Benoît Jacquot, who has worked as a director for more than 50 years in film and television, has become one of the most prominent figures in the belated critique of sexual violence and physical abuse in the French film industry and beyond.
French actress Judith Godrech, who has alleged that Jacquot raped and physically abused her in a six-year relationship that began when she was 14, has played a leading role in starting the #MeToo wave. The movement struggled to gain momentum before she spoke out publicly earlier this year and encouraged other actors to do the same.
The Paris prosecutor’s office said the judge investigating allegations against Jacquot by actor Isild Le Besco and another actor handed him several preliminary charges on Wednesday after he was taken into custody for police questioning. In France, such charges are filed when a magistrate has determined there is serious and accumulated evidence indicating a crime was committed, allowing for more investigation before deciding whether to prosecute.
Le Besco, 41, has previously spoken publicly on French television and other media and in a book about her relationship with the director, which began when she was a teenager and is 35 years older than her.
A statement from the prosecutor’s office said Jacquot was charged with the alleged rape of Le Besco when she was a minor, an allegation that occurred over a two-year period from 1998. Jacquot was also named as a cooperating witness to the alleged rape of Le Besco by his partner over a 10-month period in 2007, a special status under French law.
associated Press The other actor named by the Paris prosecutor’s office as Jacquot’s alleged rape victim could not be confirmed as having consented to be publicly identified. The actor’s lawyer, Margot Pugliese, did not immediately respond to written and phone requests for comment.
The prosecutor’s office said Jacquot was accused of raping the actress over a one-year period in 2013 while they were in a relationship. He was also charged with an alleged sexual assault of the actress while they were together in 2018, and alleged violence against her in 2018 and 2019. Jacquot was also named as a cooperating witness to an alleged rape of that actress by a partner from 2014 to 2018, the prosecutor’s office said.
Director Judith Godrecht (center) poses with her hands covering her mouth as she arrives at the premiere of ‘Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga’ in Cannes. Photo credit: Andrea Alexandrou
The prosecutor’s office said Jacquot will remain free pending further investigations, but has been ordered to undergo psychological treatment. He is also barred from contacting his alleged victims and witnesses. He cannot work as a director or in any capacity with minors. He was also ordered to pay bail of 25,000 euros ($27,000).
Jacquot, 77, has previously denied the allegations against him. In a statement that did not directly address the charges filed, Jacquot’s lawyer Julia Minkowski said the case has received excessive media publicity and that police were not given access to evidence when they questioned the director, even though French law allows them to do so “in cases of gross violations of the presumption of innocence.”
“The investigation is still in its preliminary stages and it is particularly premature to present it to the investigating judge,” the lawyer’s statement said. He denounced the ban that prevents Jacquot from acting as a director, including a ban on him appearing in public.
“More than a professional ban, this is a de facto measure of judicial suspension, based on a preliminary investigation and prior to any verdict. We will definitely appeal,” he said.
Another French director, Jacques Doillon, 80, was also detained for police questioning but was later released for medical reasons, the Paris prosecutor’s office said. Godrech has accused Doillon of sexually abusing her when she was 15 and directing a film. Doillon has previously denied the accusation.
