French director Ruggia sentenced for sexual abuse

Director Christophe Ruggia has been sentenced in France to four years in prison for sexually abusing actress Adèle Haenel. The abuse occurred during film production in 2001 when Haenel was 12 years old, and Ruggia was 36.

Ruggia will not serve time in prison but will spend two years of his sentence under house arrest with an electronic bracelet. The other two years are suspended.

He is also required to pay Haenel €35,000 in damages, partly to cover psychological treatment costs. In 2019, Haenel accused Ruggia of assaulting her during the filming of Les Diables, where she had the lead role.

She told investigators that between the ages of 12 and 15, she frequently visited Ruggia’s home, where he touched her inappropriately. According to Haenel, Ruggia’s behavior affected her schoolwork and led to suicidal thoughts.

Ruggia has consistently denied the accusations. The 35-year-old Haenel, known for her role in Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019), announced nearly two years ago that she was quitting acting in protest against the exclusion of women who speak out about sexual misconduct in the film industry.

The case against Ruggia, 60, is considered the first major MeToo case in France. The judge ruled that Ruggia abused his position as a director.

Ruggia has stated that he will appeal the decision.

Source: NOS

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