A French court on Monday found film director Christophe Ruggia guilty of sexually assaulting actress Adèle Haenel when she was between the ages of 12 and 15 in the early 2000s. Ruggia received a sentence of two years under house arrest with an electronic monitoring device, along with an additional two-year suspended sentence. This case is viewed as a significant milestone in the #MeToo movement in France.
The court determined that Ruggia “exploited the dominant position” he held over Haenel during that time. In its statement, the court noted that “during nearly weekly meetings at your home for over three years, you exhibited sexualized gestures and behaviors,” while Haenel was “gradually isolated” from her loved ones.
Ruggia, now 60, has denied any wrongdoing. Meanwhile, Haenel, now 35, was the first prominent actor in France to speak out against the film industry’s negligence regarding sexual abuse following the emergence of the #MeToo movement. In 2019, she accused Ruggia of repeatedly inappropriately touching her during and after the filming of the movie Les Diables (The Devils) in the early 2000s.
As the verdict was announced on Monday, Haenel appeared relieved, taking deep breaths. She received applause from some women’s rights activists as she exited the courtroom.
