Adèle Haenel accused filmmaker Christophe Ruggia of sexually assaulting her in the early 2000s, when the actress was between 12 and 14 years old and he was in his 30s. The filmmaker denies all allegations and calls them “pure lies”.
The hearing took place this Tuesday, December 10, at a time when the French film industry is being rocked by several allegations of sexual abuse.
Haenel, who appeared in the drama ‘Portrait of a Young Girl on Fire’ in 2019 before leaving the cinema, was the first actress to accuse the industry of ignoring recurring sexual abuse.
The prosecution asked for five years in prison for Christophe Ruggia for sexually assaulting the actress and opened the door for the remainder of the sentence to be served under house arrest with an electronic ankle bracelet.
Adèle Haenel’s case became public in 2019, when she accused the director of constantly harassing her since she was 12, describing “forced kisses on the neck” and “touching on genital areas”.
Furthermore, Ruggia directed the film ‘Les Diables’, released in 2002, in which Haenel starred. The plot tells the story of an incestuous relationship between a boy and his autistic sister. The film contains sexual scenes between children and close-ups of Haenel’s naked body.
During Tuesday’s hearing, Ruggia claimed in court that his behaviors were actually to try to “protect” the actress from the evils of the film industry. Shortly after this statement, Adèle Haenel stood up, banged the table in front of her and shouted, ‘Shut up!’, before leaving the courtroom. After being away for half an hour, the actress returned to the trial, which is considered historic for the #MeToo movement.
The sentence will be announced on February 3 and the filmmaker could face up to 10 years in prison and a fine of 150,000 euros.
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