French prosecutors have asked for an 18-month suspended prison sentence for French actor Gérard Depardieu, who is on trial for alleged sexual assaults on two women working on a film set in 2021.
Prosecutors also requested a €20,000 fine, mandatory psychological treatment, registration on France's sex offender list and damages to be paid to the two plaintiffs.
"Due to his status, Gérard Depardieu has a duty to be exemplary, to show humanity," the prosecutor told the court during closing arguments on Thursday.
"You will have to find a punishment adapted to this enormous aspect, adapted to the nature of the [incidents], a punishment that takes into account this total absence of self-reflection."
First case to reach trial
The actor is accused of assaulting two women during the filming of Les Volets Verts ("The Green Shutters"), directed by Jean Becker, in 2021. Both say the actor assaulted them repeatedly during the shoot.
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Depardieu, 76, has previously been accused of inappropriate behaviour by around 20 women. This is the first case to reach court.
"We can blame a lot on everyone," prosecutor Laurent Guy told the court. "But in this case, we have victims who stand by what they've said. We have someone who changes his version of events. And we have three eyewitnesses who saw forceful gestures toward [my client] at a key moment. This is undeniably sexual assault."
Depardieu denials
Depardieu denies all charges. During the four-day trial, he was questioned about his behaviour and gave varying responses.
"I'm vulgar, rude, foul-mouthed, I'll accept that," he told the court on Wednesday. "But I don't touch."
Responding to the testimony of one of the women, he said: "I did not commit sexual assault. Sexual assault is more serious than what she says."
Depardieu also criticised the #MeToo movement during the hearings, telling the court it "will become a reign of terror".
French film star Depardieu goes on trial on sexual assault charges
Tense courtroom
The trial was marked by tense exchanges. The plaintiffs' lawyers accused the defence of using sexist and aggressive tactics.
"We have witnessed the glorification of sexism," said Claude Vincent, lawyer for one of the women, who told the court: "This trial is the best illustration that no, you cannot separate the man from the artist. He is Gérard Depardieu and he is misogynistic."
Depardieu's lawyer, Jérémie Assous, rejected the prosecution's case.
"I saw nothing but wind, big generalities, no detail," he told journalists outside the courtroom. During the trial, he called the lawyers for the plaintiffs "hysterical", according to French media.
Veteran actor
Depardieu became a major star in France in the 1980s, with roles in The Last Metro, Police and Cyrano de Bergerac.
He later gained international fame in Peter Weir's Green Card and appeared in global productions such as Hamlet, Life of Pi and Netflix's Marseille series.
He has acted in more than 200 films and TV shows, and is the most prominent figure in French cinema so far to face trial in the wake of the #MeToo movement.
The trial was held over several days to account for the actor's health.
The court will announce its verdict at a later date.
