Visit our website:
http://www.france24.com
Like us on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/FRANCE24.English
Follow us on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/France24_en
Category
đź—ž
NewsTranscript
00:00The French actor, GĂ©rard Depardieu, went on trial this Monday in Paris.
00:04He's facing charges of sexually assaulting two women on a movie set
00:08in a case seen as a potential watershed for the MeToo movement in France.
00:12Depardieu is 76 years old. He's accused of having groped a 54-year-old set dresser
00:16and a 34-year-old assistant director during filming in 2021
00:20of the film Les Volets Verts, The Green Shutters.
00:24The actor faces up to five years in prison on fine of €75,000 if convicted.
00:29Depardieu denies any wrongdoing. He told the judges he's prepared to answer the court's questions.
00:35Shirley Sipron is in court. She joins us now live.
00:38Shirley, tell us more about the case.
00:42Well, today was an extremely long first day and very offensive.
00:47The defense was very offensive.
00:50They said that the whole trial is biased, even before it even started.
00:54The investigation itself, police and the general attorney said the lawyers of the defense were against GĂ©rard Depardieu.
01:02He gives one example, which is the testimonies of the people who were there on the day of the alleged attack.
01:09Many people were there. It was on a film while it was shot, and it was a crew that was there.
01:16And the lawyer says that only the three people who said they saw the alleged attack or parts of it were quoted and cited in the investigation.
01:26And the lawyer says that many other people who were there said they did not see it.
01:30So he said several things about this, that the whole case should be nullified entirely, that there should be no trial at all.
01:38Then he said, well, if there is a trial, well, we're demanding several things, a reenactment of the assault
01:44and also a medical test, a medical test on GĂ©rard Depardieu to prove he's incapable of doing what he's accused of.
01:52You said it. He's accused of groping to women and of trapping a woman between his legs.
01:58His lawyer says it's impossible for him to do such a thing.
02:02And he basically the people who are accusing him, they said, well, this is just a tactic.
02:08The fact that the defense is asking for so many things instead of getting into the facts and listening to the people who are there now in court.
02:16Well, they're choosing to ask for many, many new investigations.
02:21So the accusation is saying, think about the victims here.
02:26They want their trial. Everything is theirs.
02:28There's no bias against GĂ©rard Depardieu.
02:31On the contrary, if there was any other man who had all these elements against him, there would have already been a trial.
02:38Well, tomorrow, the court will rule on various elements requested by GĂ©rard Depardieu's lawyer.
02:45And, well, we must say that the defense did set the tone for this trial.
02:52The trial of GĂ©rard Depardieu continues as does our coverage. Thank you very much indeed.