The French actor had been indicted on 16 December 2020 after a complaint from actress Charlotte Arnould, who accuses him of two rapes committed on 7 and 13 August 2018.
ADVERTISEMENTThe Paris public prosecutor’s office has confirmed that it had requested that Gérard Depardieu be tried for rape and sexual assault, in connection with the events reported by actress Charlotte Arnould.
“By final indictment of August 14, 2024, (the prosecutor’s office) has requested the referral of Gérard Depardieu to the departmental criminal court to be tried for rape by digital penetration and sexual assault on August 7 and 13, 2018 to the detriment of Charlotte Arnould”, explains the statement.
Carine Durrieu-Diebolt, Charlotte Arnould’s lawyer, stated to AFP that the ruling “is the result of a lengthy investigation which has enabled us to gather the elements that corroborate my client’s word”.
“For her, this is a huge step forward, full of hope as we await the order of the examining magistrate who will close the investigation,” added Durrieu-Diebolt.
Arnould posted a message on X shortly afterwards, saying that she was “extremely relieved and moved” by the decision. “It gives me hope for the future, although I will obviously remain cautious while awaiting the order of the examining magistrate.”
The 75-year-old actor was placed under investigation on 16 December 2020 after a complaint from the actress accusing him of two rapes committed on 7 and 13 August 2018 at Depardieu’s Paris home.
The investigations were completed on 16 April, and the public prosecutor issued his final indictment on 14 August.
It is now up to the investigating judge in charge of the case to decide whether or not to order a trial.
Depardieu has been accused by other women of sexual violence, and has denied the accusations. “I have never, ever abused a woman,” he told Le Figaro in October 2023, referring to Charlotte Arnould’s accusations.
According to him, “a woman came to my house the first time, with a light step, going up to my room of her own free will. She now says she was raped there”.
“There was never any coercion, violence or protest between us”, he asserted, adding: “If she was under control, it was under her own control; she was never under my control.”
In addition, the actor will also stand trial before the Paris Criminal Court in October for sexual assaults on two women during the filming of Jean Becker’s 2021 film Les volets verts.
Depardieu was long seen as a national icon in France, and the case has divided the French cultural scene. He has been a global ambassador for French film and enjoyed international fame with several roles in Hollywood.
Additional sources • AFP, Le Figaro
