The French film industry is a few years behind in the #MeToo movement.
A Paris court found a filmmaker guilty of sexual assault on French actor Adèle Haenel when she was between 12 and 15 in the early 2000s, in the country’s first big #MeToo trial.
Filmmaker Christophe Ruggia was sentenced Monday to two years under house arrest with an electronic bracelet plus a two-year suspended sentence. Ruggia had denied any wrongdoing.
In 2019, she accused Ruggia of having repeatedly touched her inappropriately during and after filming of the movie “Les Diables” (“The Devils”) in the early 2000s.
Read moreAdéle Haenel storms out of child abuse trial
Haenel appeared relieved, breathing deeply, as Monday's verdict was being released. She was applauded by some women's rights activists as she left the courtroom.
The court ruled that Ruggia “took advantage of the dominant position” he had on Haenel at the time. “During quasi-weekly meetings at your home for over three years you had sexualized gestures and attitudes,” as Haenel was “gradually isolated” from her loved ones, the court said in a statement.
Ruggia's lawyer said her client would appeal.
Haenel, star of the 2019 Cannes entry “Portrait of a Lady on Fire,” has in recent years vocally protested what she’s called an insufficient response to sexual abuse in French filmmaking.
At the César Awards in 2020, she walked out of the ceremony after Roman Polanski won best director. Polanski is still wanted in the United States decades after he was charged with raping a 13-year-old girl in 1977.
In 2023, Haenel, announced she was quitting French film industry that she denounced for “complacency toward sexual aggressors.” She published an open letter in which she said Cannes and other pillars of the French film industry are “ready to do anything to defend their rapist chiefs.”
While #MeToo initially struggled to find traction in France, some other actors and film industry workers have since spoken out.
(AP)
Spanish football is not much better
The trial of Spain's former football chief Luis Rubiales began on Monday over the forced kiss he gave star forward Jenni Hermoso.
The 47-year-old provoked worldwide outrage after he cupped Hermoso's head and gave her an unsolicited kiss after Spain beat England to win the 2023 Women's World Cup in Australia.
On the first day of the trial, Hermoso confronted Rubiales in court, saying she did not agree to the kiss that has led to his trial on assault and coercion charges.
Asked by a prosecutor at Madrid's High Court if the kiss at the 2023 awards ceremony in Australia was consensual, Hermoso replied "Never" as Rubiales sat taking notes.
"I didn't hear or understand anything," she added. "The next thing he did was to grab me by the ears and kiss me on the mouth."
“I felt disrespected,” Hermoso said. “I think it was a moment that stained one of the happiest days of my life.”
Prosecutors are seeking two-and-a-half years in prison for Rubiales, one year for sexual assault for the forced kiss and 18 months for allegedly coercing Hermoso, 34, to downplay the incident.
The kiss was given "unexpectedly and without the consent or acceptance of the player", prosecutors wrote in their indictment.
"Constant and repeated pressure was exerted directly on the player Jennifer Hermoso and through her family and friends with the aim of justifying and publicly approving the kiss that Luis Rubiales gave her against her will," it added.
The highly anticipated trial got under way at the National Court in San Fernando de Henares near Madrid at 10:00am (09:00 GMT) and is expected to run until February 19.
Rubiales is scheduled to take the stand on February 12. He has called the kiss an innocuous "peck between friends celebrating" and denied any coercion.
Among the accused alongside Rubiales are ex-women's national team coach Jorge Vilda and two former federation officials, Ruben Rivera and Albert Luque.
They also stand accused of trying to coerce Hermoso with prosecutors seeking an 18 months' jail term against them.
Historic success overshadowed
The scandal that rocked Spanish football and wrecked Rubiales' career broke on August 20, 2023, moments after the women's national team had clinched World Cup glory in Sydney.
As Hermoso joined her teammates in collecting their winner's medals, Rubiales clasped her head and kissed her on the lips before letting her go with two slaps on the back.
The act unleashed a public outcry at what critics deemed an abuse of power. A recent reform of the Spanish criminal code classifies a non-consensual kiss as sexual assault.
Rubiales, who was already under investigation for alleged corruption in his role as federation head, finally gave in to pressure and stepped down in September 2023, two days after the start of a probe over the kiss. He had been federation chief since 2018.
In a recent Netflix documentary titled "Se acabo" ("It's over"), which looks back at the players' anger after the scandal overshadowed their historic success, Hermoso revealed she cried following the kiss.
Hermoso, the all-time top scorer for the national women's team who now plays in Mexico, said in the documentary that the federation demanded she appear in a video where she would claim Rubiales' kiss "was nothing, it was ... joy, euphoria".
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP and Reuters)
Kickboxer Badr Hari arrested in Amsterdam on suspicion of assaulting ex-girlfriend
Kickboxer Badr Hari was arrested in Amsterdam on Sunday on suspicion of assaulting his ex-girlfriend. The fighter remains in custody as police investigate the case.
Hari has been involved in multiple violent incidents in the past. His most notable conviction was for the assault of businessman Koen Everink in 2012.
During the Sensation White event at the Amsterdam Arena, Hari severely beat Everink in a skybox. According to the Netherlands Forensic Institute, the force of the blows and kicks was comparable to being struck by a horse or a car collision. In 2017, Hari was sentenced to two years in prison, with ten months suspended.
During the Everink case, allegations of violence against Hari’s then ex-girlfriend Rosa were also brought up in court. Although Rosa did not press charges, text messages she sent to a friend were used as evidence.
“Badr went on a rampage,” one of her messages read. “He lost control. I’m covered in bruises. It’ll take a while before I can wear a bikini again. I have a concussion, and the house is a wreck.” Hari was ultimately acquitted of these allegations.
In recent years, Hari has primarily made headlines for his kickboxing matches. He fought Rico Verhoeven in high-profile bouts in 2016 and 2019, losing both fights. “The rivalry between Badr and me really put kickboxing and Glory on the map,” Verhoeven said. “Everyone wanted to see this, from sports fans to people who normally don’t watch kickboxing.”
