Paris prosecutors have asked Gerard Depardieu to stand trial for rape and sexual assault against actress Charlotte Arnoux, reported AFP and BTA, quoted by NOVA. The indictment was filed on August 14.
The French actor, who is 75 years old, was charged on December 16, 2020, following a complaint filed by Charlotte Arnoux, who accused him of two rapes that took place on August 7 and 13, 2018, at the actor's home in Paris.
A judge has yet to decide whether there should be a trial.
The decision of the prosecutor's office is the result of a long investigation, which allowed to gather evidence confirming what my client said, Karin Durieux-Diebolt, who is Arnoux's lawyer, told AFP. “For her, this is a huge step forward. She is full of hope," she added.
The actor, who is also accused by other women of sexual violence, denies the accusations. “I have never, never abused a woman”, he told the newspaper “Figaro” in October 2023. on the occasion of Charlotte Arnoux's accusations.
Initially, the actress filed a complaint in August 2018. In the following year, the case was closed because the facts were not sufficiently substantiated. On July 31, 2020, after a re-examination of the case, the prosecutor's office in Paris requested to re-open a judicial rape investigation.
In October, Gerard Depardieu will also face the Paris Criminal Court for sexual assaults committed against two women during the filming of a movie in 2021