French actor Gérard Depardieu has been ordered to stand trial over allegations of rape and sexual assault dating back to 2018.
His accuser, actor Charlotte Arnould, expressed her relief at the decision to bring the case to court, a significant step after seven years of waiting since she first filed her complaint.
At 76, Depardieu has consistently denied the charges, maintaining that any encounters with Arnould were consensual.
Earlier this year, he was convicted for sexually assaulting two members of a film crew four years ago. While he was placed on a sex offender registry, he did not receive a jail sentence, disputing the claims made against him.
Arnould conveyed her sentiments on social media, saying, Seven years later, seven years of horror and hell... I think I'm having trouble realising how huge this is. I'm relieved.
Her attorney, Carine Durrieu Diebolt, confirmed that the trial concerns allegations of assault and rape by digital penetration during two incidents at Depardieu's home in Paris in August 2018, asserting that Arnould and her legal team are relieved and optimistic about the impending trial.
The date for the trial has yet to be established.
In a letter published in Le Figaro earlier this year, Depardieu adamantly denied all allegations levelled against him, stating: Never, ever, have I abused a woman and insisting that there was never any coercion, violence, or protest in his interactions with Arnould.
The case marks a significant turn in what had initially been dismissed due to a lack of evidence, leading to a judicial investigation reacted to by Arnould's later declaration as a civil party in 2020.
