Prosecutors Seek Trial for Gerard Depardieu

Paris prosecutors have requested that Gérard Depardieu stand trial for rape by digital penetration and sexual assault against actress Charlotte Arnould, relating to incidents that allegedly occurred in August 2018. The case, initially closed due to insufficient evidence in 2019, was reopened after Arnould filed a civil complaint and Depardieu was indicted in December 2020. Depardieu denies the allegations and claims they are misinterpreted, while Arnould's lawyer described the trial request as a significant advancement for her client. The decision on whether the trial will proceed now rests with an investigating judge. Additionally, Depardieu is set to face another trial in October for separate allegations of sexual assault made by two women during a film shoot in 2021. These ongoing legal challenges come amid a broader reckoning in the French film industry regarding sexual misconduct.