A French court has convicted French film director Christophe Ruggia of sexually abusing actress Adèle Haenel when she was underage. He will avoid prison as the court sentenced him to a two-year suspended term and two years under house arrest.Ruggia was also ordered to pay €15,000 to Haenel.
In one of France’s first big MeToo cases, Haenel accused Ruggia of repeatedly touching her inappropriately when she was between 12 and 15-years-old, after they met while working on the movie "The Devils" in 2001
Ruggia's lawyer, Fanny Colin, told reporters that her client maintained his innocence and would appeal the decision – the director has denied any wrongdoing since Haenel’s first public accusations in 2019.
Haenel, 35, put her career on the line when she went public with her accusations against Ruggia in 2019, a time when France had yet to embrace the MeToo movement.
She received little open support from the French film industry at the time, and she quit the industry in 2023, citing continuing complacency about sexual abuse.
The situation changed, in part due to actress Judith Godrèche’s decision to go public with allegations that directors Benoît Jacquot and Jacques Doillon sexually abused her when she was a teenager.
Godrèche was in the courtroom and hugged Haenel after the verdict. Also there was director Céline Sciamma, Haenel's ex-partner and the director of "Portrait of a Lady On Fire".
Ruggia, 60, is not the first man in French cinema to face charges over his behaviour on set.
Gérard Depardieu, one of France's most famous actors, is due to go on trial in March. He is accused of sexually assaulting two women on a film set in 2021. He denies the charges.
(with newswires)
