France arrests two directors accused of sexual abuse: sources close to the case

France arrests two directors accused of sexual abuse: sources close to the case

PARIS, July 1, 2024 (BSS/AFP) – Directors Benoit Jacquot and Jacques Doillon were taken into police custody Monday for questioning over sexual abuse allegations, sources familiar with the matter said.

An AFP journalist saw the two men, who denied the accusations, arrive Monday morning at the Paris police station, accompanied by their lawyers.

Judith Godrèche, a 52-year-old actress and director, has formally accused Jacquot of rape and Doillon of sexual assault when she was a minor, accusations that both men deny.

She described Jacquot as having an unhealthy “hold” over her during a relationship with him that began when she was 14, from 1986 to 1992.

She accused Doillon of abuse on set while she was starring in one of his films.

Actress Isild Le Besco, 41, has also formally accused Jacquot of raping her between 1998 and 2007 during a toxic relationship that began when she was 16 and he was 52.

Actress Julia Roy, 34, also filed a complaint against him for sexual assault, during “a context of violence and moral constraint which lasted several years”, indicated a source close to the case.

The director's lawyers said there was no need to arrest them for questioning and stressed that they should be considered innocent until proven guilty.

Jacquot's lawyer, Julia Minkowski, said her client could “finally speak before the law.”

Doillon's lawyer, Marie Dose, said that no legal criteria could justify his detention for interrogation “36 years” after the facts alleged by Godreche.

Sources close to the case indicated that their interrogation could include a confrontation with the person or people who accuse them.

Godrèche wrote on Instagram that she was deeply moved that the police had finally summoned the two directors.

“I'm crying… From all this… I don't know if I will have the strength but I will have it. I will have it… For her,” she wrote, posting a photo of her as a teenager next to Jacquot, 25 years her senior.

The French film industry is reeling from accusations that it covered up abuse for too long, particularly after a series of allegations against 75-year-old screen legend Gérard Depardieu, all of which he denies.

Since breaking her silence, Godreche has become a leading voice in the #MeToo movement in France.

After calling for a film watchdog, parliament voted in May to create a commission to investigate sexual and gender-based violence in the film industry and other sectors cultural.