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Gerard Depardieu Sexual Assault Complaint Dismissed by French Prosecutors Due to Statute of Limitations

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French prosecutors have dismissed the complaint filed by French actor Hélène Darras alleging that Gerard Depardieu sexually assaulted her during the filming of “Disco” in 2007.

In a statement sent to Variety, the Paris Prosecutor’s Office said the complaint filed on Sept. 10, 2023 will be dismissed due to the statute of limitations.

The prosecutor’s spokesperson said Darras “had decided to file a distinct complaint after being auditioned as a witness during the ongoing investigation stemming from the lawsuit by Charlotte Arnould” in 2018. Depardieu was indicted on rape charges in connection to that case in 2020.

Darras was one of the 13 women who accused Depardieu of sexual misconduct in an investigative story that ran in Mediapart in April 2023. Spanish journalist Ruth Baza also said she had filed an official complaint against the actor in Spain after being allegedly assaulted during an interview in Paris in 1995, which is beyond the 20-year statute of limitation in France.

The Prosecutor’s office added that besides Arnould, “there are no other women, to this day, whose testimonies as part of this investigation has given new elements to the judge.” Depardieu has not been convicted in connection to any of the allegations and denies any wrongdoing.

The complaint filed by Darras was first reported by France 2, the French public broadcaster, in a Dec. 7 bombshell documentary called “Complement d’Enquete: the Downfall of an Ogre.”

The documentary shows raw footage of the actor making sexually inappropriate and obscene jokes, including one about a child riding a pony, during a shoot in North Korea. That footage has caused an uproar in France, including threats by then culture minister Rima Abdul-Malak that Depardieu’s Legion of Honor would be scrapped. Shortly after, France President Emmanuel Macron said Abdul-Malak had spoken too quickly and admitted to being an admirer of Depardieu. Abdul-Malak was replaced by Rachida Dati as the new culture minister within weeks as part of a government reshuffle.

Author: Editors Desk

Source: Variety:

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