French filmmaker Christophe Ruggia was placed under formal investigation on Thursday for “sexual assault of a minor” in an investigation into allegations of his abuse of the actress Adèle Haenel when she was aged between 12 and 15.
The investigation was opened by the Paris public prosecution services days after Haenel, now aged 31, detailed her claims in a lengthy investigation published by Mediapart in early November.
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Ruggia, 55, was arrested on Tuesday morning and had been questioned for 48 hours in police custody before being placed under investigation by a magistrate on Thursday afternoon. Under French law, to be placed under investigation is a legal step that implies serious and – or – concordant evidence has been found to suggest a suspect committed, or helped the committal of, a crime.
The status carries constraining measures, and Ruggia was freed on Thursday under “judicial control”, with the order not to contact Haenel, to begin receiving therapy, and to request permission from a magistrate before travelling abroad.
The probe opened by Paris public prosecution services last November cites “sexual assault of a minor” and “sexual harassment”. In her interview with Mediapart, Haenel accused the filmmaker of “constant sexual harassment”, repeated “touching” of her thighs and body and “forced kisses on the neck” which she said took place in the director's apartment and in hotel rooms during several international film festivals, beginning when she was aged 12.
Mediapart carried out an extensive investigation into her claims, which were supported by numerous witnesses. Ruggia told Mediapart that he “categorically” refuted the allegations. The filmmaker, a successful director of independent films who is also known for his left-leaning political activism, denied “having carried out any harassment or any form of [inappropriate] touching of this young girl who was then a minor”.
Haenel was an unknown child actress when she was chosen by Ruggia to star in his 2002 film Les Diables (English title, The Devils). In her interview with Mediapart, she said Ruggia's alleged inappropriate sexual behaviour towards her took place between 2001 and 2004, when the director was then aged 36 to 39. She described a mental “hold” he exerted over her, and years of depression after she finally ended all contact with Ruggia, when she decided to end her hopes of a cinematic career.
She eventually returned to acting, and is now one of the most acclaimed actresses of her generation in France. She has won several “César” French film awards – the country’s equivalent to the US Oscars – and has starred in 16 films screened at the Cannes film festival.
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Haenel, who initially dismissed the idea of filing a complaint against Ruggia, citing her disillusionment with the French justice system, eventually did so on November 26th, prompted by the public prosecution services initiative to launch the probe. “Now that the justice system has opened an investigation I’m not going to shy away, and I hope to do all that’s within my power to go through to the end of the legal process,” she told Mediapart.
Haenel and several other witnesses who were cited in Mediapart’s investigation have since given statements to police.
Ruggia was questioned this week by police specialised in crimes against minors, from a branch dedicated to investigating violence upon individuals, the OCRVP (l’Office central pour la répression des violences aux personnes). The OCRVP also searched the filmmaker’s home in the Paris region.
Véronique Ruggia, the filmmaker’s sister, was questioned while he was held by police, and he and Haenel were questioned face-to-face during the final stages of his custody.
Mediapart understands that at a general assembly meeting on January 10th, members of the French filmmakers’ association, the SRF, voted to suspend Ruggia’s membership and the post he occupies on its board, pending the outcome of the current investigation.
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See below Adèle Haenel's November 4th 2019 interview with Mediapart, sub-titled in English (click screen to play).