French film director Christophe Ruggia and his lawyer Orly Razlan walk during a recess at the Criminal Court in Paris, France, during a hearing in Ruggia’s trial for allegedly sexually abusing actress Adèle Haenel when she was a teenager. Photo courtesy: Abdul Saboor
The trial of French film producer Christophe Ruggia, accused of sexually assaulting actress Adèle Haenel when she was a minor, began in Paris on Monday, marking a significant moment for the #MeToo movement in France.
Raggia, 59, is accused of assaulting Haenel between 2001 and 2004, when she was 12 to 14 years old. The allegations stem from their collaboration on a 2002 film. les diables ,the devil), where Haenel made his acting debut. Haenel, now 35, claims that Raggia sexually harassed her during and after production of the film, describing incidents of inappropriate touching during visits to his home. Raggia has denied all the allegations and called them “pure lies”.
During the trial, the prosecutor requested two years of house arrest with an electronic bracelet, a three-year suspended sentence and that Raggia be added to the sex offender registry. Prosecutor Camille Poch stressed the seriousness of the allegations, saying, “He decided to sexually assault her. As a man – as an adult – he had every discretion to behave otherwise.”
Adèle Haenel walks with her lawyer Anouk Michelin after a hearing at French film director Christophe Ruggia’s trial for allegedly sexually abusing her on set when she was a teenager at a criminal court in Paris, France. Photo courtesy: Abdul Saboor
The court proceedings have been emotionally charged. Haenel lashed out on Tuesday after Raggia denied the allegations and claimed he had tried to protect her from ridicule over the explicit scenes. les diablesEnraged, she hit the table and screamed, “Will you shut up?” She later returned with her lawyer but refused to look at the defendant.
The trial is being seen as a watershed moment for France’s film industry, which is grappling with increasing scrutiny over its handling of sexual misconduct. Haenel’s 2019 revelations in an interview with Mediapart were one of the first high-profile allegations to expose systemic abuse in French cinema. His decision to leave acting in 2023 further underlined his disillusionment with the industry’s “common complacency” towards sexual predators.
A verdict in the case is expected on February 3, a decision that could have reverberations beyond the court as France considers the cultural shift brought about by the #MeToo movement.
published – December 11, 2024 11:31 am IST
