French Director Benoît Jacquot Is Charged With Rape

The French film director Benoît Jacquot was charged on Wednesday with the rape of two actresses, Julia Roy and Isild Le Besco, a number of years in the past, in response to the Paris prosecutor’s workplace.

Mr. Jacquot, 77, is one among two administrators dealing with a wave of #MeToo accusations which have roiled France’s film business for the reason that actress Judith Godrèche got here ahead to say he had raped her throughout an abusive relationship that began when she was 14 and he was 39.

Within the wake of Ms. Godrèche’s accusations, Ms. Roy, 34, and Ms. Le Besco, 41, publicly accused Mr. Jacquot of holding them in equally abusive relationships and of sexually abusing them after they had been a lot youthful actresses who starred in his movies.

Ms. Le Besco has accused Mr. Jacquot of raping her between the ages of 16 and 25. Ms. Roy, who acted in a few of Mr. Jacquot’s movies between 2016 and 2021, had accused him of sexual and bodily abuse.

Mr. Jacquot and the opposite director who has been accused, Jacques Doillon, 80, had been taken into police custody on Monday for questioning.

Each males have denied any wrongdoing.

Mr. Doillon was launched on Tuesday on medical grounds and with out being charged, the Paris prosecutor’s workplace stated, though it added that it was nonetheless analyzing how you can proceed in his case. Ms. Godrèche has accused Mr. Doillon of sexually assaulting her twice.

The fees involving Ms. Roy are tied to accusations that Mr. Jacquot raped her in 2013. He was additionally charged with bodily and sexually assaulting her between 2018 and 2019. The rape prices involving Ms. Le Besco are linked to the years 1998 by way of 2000, when she turned 18.

Mr. Jacquot, who directed films together with “A Single Woman” and “Farewell, My Queen,” was launched on Wednesday on bail of 25,000 euros, or about $27,000, below strict circumstances.

The investigative choose issued a restraining order that stops Mr. Jacquot from contacting the ladies who accused him, ordered him to hunt psychological care and barred him from working with minors. He was additionally prohibited from working as a director, the Paris prosecutor’s workplace stated, and from making “public appearances in reference to the actions that led to the fee of the offenses for which he’s below investigation.”

Mr. Jacquot’s lawyer, Julia Minkowski, couldn’t instantly be reached for touch upon Wednesday night. In an announcement to Agence France-Presse, she known as the restrictions a disproportionate “judicial cancellation” of her consumer and stated he would enchantment the costs.

The allegations Ms. Godrèche made in opposition to Mr. Jacquot had been previous the statute of limitations. “However I really feel heard by way of this resolution,” Ms. Godrèche stated on Instagram on Wednesday after the prosecutor’s workplace stated it was looking for prices in opposition to Mr. Jacquot.

In France, prosecutors in complicated legal circumstances can search prices, however the circumstances are finally dealt with by particular magistrates with broad investigative powers who cost defendants after they consider that the proof factors to severe wrongdoing. The magistrates can later drop the costs if they don’t consider that the proof is enough to proceed to trial.