Post-MeToo France faces a major test in the form of Gérard Depardieu's sexual harassment trial

The sexual harassment trial of Gérard Depardieu is a key moment for France that will test its readiness to confront sexual violence, especially when it is perpetrated by recognized cultural icons in the post-Metoo era.

Gérard Depardieu, France's most famous male actor, will face not only two women who accuse him of sexual assault on Monday when his trial begins, but also a nation that has long been criticized for ignoring abuse by powerful figures.

Sixty-six-year-old actor is accused of assaulting a set designer and an assistant director during the filming of a movie Les Volets Verts (Green Shutters) Although Depardieu has been publicly accused of sexual abuse by more than 20 women, this is the first case to go to trial.

This landmark trial is considered the most important case in France since the MeToo and raises the key question: Is the country, famous for its culture of seduction, finally ready to hold its cultural giants to account?

According to prosecutors, Depardieu trapped one of the women with his legs and then groped her waist and breasts in front of witnesses. The fifty-four-year-old set designer described the actor's behaviour in a 2021 interview with investigative media outlet Mediapart, recalling how Depardieu shouted that because of the heat "can't even get her upstairs"and then he said: "Come and touch my big parasol. I'll stick it in your (lower) lots." She claimed that he then forcibly grabbed her and that she had to be dragged away by bodyguards.

The second woman, a 34-year-old assistant director, claimed she was groped on set and in the street. As is usual in such cases, the identity of the accusers was kept secret to protect the victims.

Depardieu has denied all allegations. In an open letter published in the newspaper Le Figaro in October 2023, he firmly stated: "I've never, really never abused any woman. The thought that I have harmed or caused discomfort to anyone is unacceptable to me." He added: "I have only ever been guilty of being too loving, too generous, or having too strong a temperament."

Depardieu's lawyer, Jérémie Assous, called the lawsuit unfounded. He also noted that the actor, who recently underwent quadruple bypass surgery and suffers from diabetes, will attend the trial with breaks scheduled to accommodate his medical condition.

In France, where the culture is slow to embrace abuse, the trial is all the more piquant. While Hollywood has been quick to fall in the wake of #MeToo, the French film industry has taken a more hesitant approach. Some have dismissed the movement as incompatible with French values, claiming it poses a threat to the nation's freedom of expression and flirt culture.

Many argue that the fact that Roman Polanski, convicted in the US of having unlawful sex with a minor and accused by several other women, can continue to live and work in France without major consequences, indicative of the country's broader attitude. His César 2020 award for best director sparked protests, including one from actress Adèle Haenel, who walked out in disgust.

But there may be a change afoot. In February, the director was Christophe Ruggia convicted of sexually abusing Haenel as a child. Haenel, who has already left the film industry in protest, is now a prominent voice in the fight against abuse.

Judith Godrèche, another outspoken personality, has accused directors Benoît Jacquot and Jacques Doillon of sexually abusing her in her youth - both men deny the allegations.

But even in the face of a changing culture, resistance persists. In 2018, more than 100 prominent French women, including actress Catherine Deneuve, an open letter in Le Monde defending the so-called "freedom to harass" and arguing that flirting should not be equated with harassment.

euronews/ gnews.cz - RoZ