He molestated the actress when she was a child. The French director held the sentence

On Monday, February 3, a verdict was passed in the case of the French director, who was found guilty of the sexual harassment of the then juvenile actress, Adèle Haenel. Christophe Ruggia has been sentenced to four years imprisonment, of which two will spend two in home detention under electronic supervision. The court also ordered the filmmaker to pay compensation in the amount of EUR 15,000 and EUR 20,000 refund for the therapy, which the actress attended for years. Fanny Collin, a lawyer’s lawyer, told the press that her client intends to appeal against the judgment.

Christophe ruggia convicted of harassment of a minor actress

The case first saw the light of day in 2019, when Adèle Haenel told MediaPart journalists about what happened on the set of the film “Devils” in 2002. The actress’s account showed that the director molested her for several years, also after the photos for production. In relation to the information contained in the indictment, the French media stated that Haenel and Ruggia met every week “under the cover of film lessons”.

“I always sat on the couch, and he in the armchair opposite. Then he switched close to me and began to stick to me. He kissed my neck, smelled my hair, caressed my thigh and moved his hand slowly towards the crotch. He began to put my hand under my shirt , looking for my breasts.

From the beginning, the director strongly denied the accusations of harassment and claimed that Haenel could inadvertently understand his intentions due to his young age. Investigators, however, reached letters in which the director wrote about his feelings towards the actress and erotic fantasies.

After the initiation of the investigation against the director, Ruggia received court supervision and a ban on approaching the actress. In 2023, Adèle Haenel gave up acting, claiming that the film industry supports “sexual predators”.