A French court is set to deliver its verdict on Monday in the case of filmmaker Christophe Ruggia, accused of sexually assaulting actor Adèle Haenel when she was a child, in what is seen as a landmark #MeToo trial.
Haenel, 35, accused Ruggia, 60, of assaulting her between 2001 and 2004, when she was aged 12 to 14, and he was in his late 30s. Ruggia denied the allegations, calling them “pure lies.”
The trial, which took place in December, comes as France’s film industry faces growing allegations of sexual abuse.
Haenel, best known for Portrait of a Lady on Fire, was the first high-profile actor to speak out about the industry’s silence on sexual misconduct.
She starred in Ruggia’s 2002 film The Devils, which featured intimate scenes involving child actors. Crew members later told investigators they had felt “uneasy” about Ruggia’s behaviour on set.
Haenel accused Ruggia of inappropriately touching her during visits to his home after filming. She told the court she felt trapped by the director, who made her believe she owed him her career.
“You can’t abuse children like that. There are consequences,” she said in court, recalling the impact on her younger self.
During the trial, Haenel stormed out of the courtroom after telling Ruggia to “shut up.”
The prosecution requested a two-year sentence with electronic monitoring, a three-year suspended sentence, and for Ruggia to be listed as a sex offender.
Ruggia denied wrongdoing, accusing Haenel of seeking revenge for not being cast in more roles.
Haenel famously walked out of the 2020 César Awards in protest after a prize was given to Roman Polanski, who is wanted in the US for statutory rape.
In 2023, she announced her retirement from cinema, criticising the industry’s failure to address abuse.
The court’s verdict is expected at 1:30 pm (12:30 GMT).
