PARIS: A French investigating judge has ordered cinema icon Gerard Depardieu to stand trial over alleged rape and sexual assault of actor Charlotte Arnould in 2018.
The decision follows a Paris court handing Depardieu an 18-month suspended sentence in May after convicting him of sexually assaulting two women on a film set in 2021.
Depardieu has consistently denied the allegation, maintaining his relationship with Arnould was entirely consensual.
The 76-year-old actor has remained under formal investigation since December 2020 in connection with this case.
Arnould expressed both relief and trauma after seven years awaiting justice for the alleged incidents.
Depardieu’s legal representative did not provide immediate comment when contacted by news agencies.
The investigating judge specifically ordered Depardieu to the Paris Criminal Court for sexual assault and rape by digital penetration on two occasions in August 2018.
Depardieu previously stated in an October 2023 letter to French daily Le Figaro that he never abused any woman.
The actor has appeared in more than 200 films and television series throughout his career.
Depardieu represents the highest-profile figure caught in France’s response to the global MeToo movement.
More than a dozen women have now come forward with various abuse allegations against the actor. – AFP