A Spanish reporter and writer has submitted a legal accusation in Spain against Gérard Depardieu, alleging that the actor sexually assaulted her in Paris almost three decades ago.
51-year-old Ruth Baza reported to AFP that she submitted a report to Spanish authorities on Thursday, claiming that she was sexually assaulted during an interview with the actor in Paris on October 12, 1995 for Cinemania magazine.
The initial report of the complaint came from the newspaper La Vanguardia, which is based in Barcelona.
At the time, Baza was 23 and Depardieu was 46. Baza described the incident as an invasion without her consent and stated that she felt immobilized during the event.
Supposedly, the incident occurred at the location of the now-defunct Roissy Films production company.
At first, Baza informed AFP about “sexual assault,” but when questioned about whether she had been raped, she confirmed that she had.
She stated that the police had described it that way.
Under Spain’s sexual consent law passed last year, the charge of sexual assault takes in a wide array of crimes, from online abuse and groping to rape, each with different possible punishments.
A person found guilty of rape may face a sentence of up to 15 years.
When AFP reached out, law enforcement and legal representatives stated they were unable to verify if Baza had officially reported the actor for a crime.
In 2021, actor Depardieu faced charges of rape and sexual assault brought by fellow actor Charlotte Arnould. Arnould claimed that Depardieu raped her in his Paris apartment in 2018 when she was 22 years old. Depardieu denied the accusations as unfounded and tried to have the charges dismissed, but a Paris court upheld them based on compelling evidence, stating that it was justified for Depardieu to remain charged.
In October, Depardieu addressed accusations of rape and sexual assault in a public letter published in Le Figaro. He adamantly denied any wrongdoing, stating that he has never mistreated a woman. He also expressed his frustration with the media’s treatment of the allegations, stating that he only has his own testimony to defend himself against the public condemnation.
A recent television report from France featured footage of a 74-year-old individual making sexist remarks, sparking a renewed discussion about sexism in the country’s film industry. This has brought the accusations back into the public eye and reignited the debate on the topic.
Baza told AFP that she had “completely” forgotten the alleged assault until she read an investigation published by the news website Mediapart in April, in which 13 women accused the actor of sexual violence.
The piece triggered a sense of recognition and recollections, which she verified with her own written records from that period.
The accusation against the actor is unlikely to result in legal action, as the alleged events occurred beyond the time limit set by French law.
Despite this, Baza stated that she made the decision to file her complaint in the hopes that it would encourage others to do the same.
Source: theguardian.com
