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A Spanish reporter and writer has submitted a legal accusation against Gérard Depardieu for purportedly sexually assaulting her during an interview almost thirty years ago in Paris.
51-year-old Ruth Baza reported to Spain’s national police last week that she was allegedly raped by the French actor. She joins a group of over a dozen women who have accused him of sexual abuse.
According to the Barcelona-based newspaper La Vanguardia, Baza claims that she was 23 years old when Depardieu allegedly raped her during an interview for Cinemania magazine in Paris on October 12, 1995.
According to a report, the police have classified an allegation as rape after a woman stated that an actor kissed her on the face and touched her under her clothes with his fingers.
Baza expressed feeling “immobilized” by what she described as “an unwelcome intrusion at any moment.”
At first, Baza informed AFP of “sexual assault”. However, when asked specifically about rape, she affirmed that the police had described it as such.
In recent times, Spain enacted a new law commonly referred to as the “only yes means yes law” which eliminates the differentiation between sexual abuse and sexual aggression (rape) by explicitly stating that consent is the decisive factor. Additionally, the law was broadened to encompass online abuse and grooming as forms of rape with varying consequences.
Thirteen women have accused Gérard Depardieu of sexual harassment.
The information is from the AFP and was obtained through Getty Images.
A person found guilty of rape in Spain can face up to 15 years in prison under the country’s laws.
AFP was informed by Baza that she had completely forgotten about the reported assault by the French actor, but the recent flurry of accusations triggered her recollection.
In 2020, Depardieu became the subject of a legal inquiry for allegations of rape and sexual assault. He was formally charged with these crimes after being accused of raping Charlotte Arnould, a 28-year-old French actress, at his Paris residence in 2018.
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The authorities closed the case in 2019 due to insufficient evidence, but it was later reopened in 2020 after criminal charges were brought against him. He is currently either awaiting trial or for the charges to be dropped.
In April of this year, 16 women came forward accusing him of sexual harassment, three more than the initial 13. According to French investigative news outlet Mediapart, Depardieu is facing allegations of harassment, groping, and sexual assault from these women.
Paris authorities are currently looking into the suspected suicide of Emmanuelle Debever, an actress who passed away at the age of 60. She had come forward with allegations of sexual assault against Depardieu dating back several decades.
Emmanuelle Debever claimed that Depardieu sexually assaulted her while on the set of a film ten years ago.
The cause of her death is currently being investigated by prosecutors, who are relying on “media reports” about her complaints against the actor in 2019. On Facebook, she had accused Depardieu of sexual misconduct during the filming of the movie Danton in 1982.
Unfortunately, she passed away on December 12th at the same time a documentary was released investigating the actor’s offensive comments towards women. The program, named Gérard Depardieu: The Fall of the Ogre, was shown on the French TV channel France 2 and sparked a new discussion about sexism in French film and accusations against the actor.
In October, Depardieu publicly refuted all accusations against him in a letter published in Le Figaro.
“I have never mistreated a woman,” he stated. “In the eyes of the media and their condemnation of me, I can only rely on my own words to defend myself.”
His relatives have labeled it as an “unprecedented plot” aimed at him.
On December 7th, it was reported by French news sources that a recent accusation has been made against Depardieu by fellow French actor Hélène Darras. Darras, who co-starred with Depardieu in the movie “Disco” in 2008, alleges that she was the victim of sexual assault on the film’s set.
A staff member of the Grevin wax museum in Paris inspects the wax figure of Gerard Depardieu.
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The Grevin Museum in Paris took down the wax statue of the actor on Monday due to increased attention on accusations of sexual assault.
The Belgian municipality revoked Depardieu’s honorary citizenship title after the Quebec province of Canada also rescinded its highest honor to the actor due to his controversial remarks in the documentary.
The acclaimed actor has received nominations for both the Oscar and Bafta awards. He is recognized for his roles in iconic French films such as The Last Metro, Jean de Florette, and Cyrano de Bergerac, as well as in English-speaking movies like Green Card and Life of Pi.
If you have experienced rape or sexual assault, you can reach out to your local Rape Crisis organization for specialized, unbiased, and private assistance. For further details, please visit their website.
Source: independent.co.uk
