On Monday, French authorities detained prominent film directors Benoit Jacquot and Jacques Doillon for questioning regarding allegations of sexual abuse, according to sources familiar with the case. An AFP journalist witnessed both men, who have denied the accusations, arriving at a Paris police station accompanied by their legal representatives.
Judith Godreche, a 52-year-old actress and director, has formally accused Jacquot of rape and Doillon of sexual assault when she was a minor, both of whom deny the allegations. Godreche described Jacquot as having an unhealthy 'control' over her during a relationship that began when she was 14, from 1986 to 1992. She also accused Doillon of abusive behavior on set during one of his films.
Fellow actress Isild Le Besco, 41, has also formally accused Jacquot of raping her between 1998 and 2007 during a toxic relationship that started when she was 16 and he was 52. Actress Julia Roy, 34, has filed a complaint against him for sexual assault, citing 'a context of violence and moral constraint which lasted several years', according to a source close to the case.
The directors' lawyers argued that there was no necessity to detain them for questioning and emphasized that they should be considered innocent until proven guilty. Jacquot's lawyer, Julia Minkowski, stated that her client would 'finally be able to express himself before the law'. Doillon's attorney, Marie Dose, questioned the justification for his detention for questioning '36 years' after the incident alleged by Godreche.
The sources close to the case indicated that their interrogation might include a confrontation with their accusers. Godreche expressed her deep emotion on Instagram that the police had finally summoned the two directors. 'I'm crying... From all this... I don't know if I have the strength but I will have it. I will have it... For her,' she wrote, posting a picture of her teenage self next to Jacquot, who was 25 years her senior.
The French film industry is grappling with accusations that it has long shielded abusers, including recent allegations against 75-year-old screen legend Gerard Depardieu, all of which he denies. Since breaking her silence, Godreche has emerged as a prominent voice in France's #MeToo movement. Following her call for a cinema oversight body, parliament voted in May to establish a commission to investigate sexual and gender-based violence in the film industry and other cultural sectors.
