Christophe Ruggia arrested on charge of sexual assaulting teen girl cast in his movie, Paris prosecutors say

Citing Paris prosecutors, Reuters and other news outlets are reporting that the French movie director Christophe Ruggia was arrested and taken into custody for questioning today over allegations he sexually assaulted a teen girl who was cast in one of his films nearly two decades ago.

Through an attorney, the filmmaker denies this claim, and any other charges of misconduct.

Adele Haenel, an actress who is now 31 years of age, claimed that Christophe Ruggia assaulted and harassed her circa 2001-2004, after she landed a role in the Ruggia-directed project “Les Diables,” or The Devils.

From Reuters:

According to Haenel’s allegations, published in French media outlet Mediapart in November last year, when she was first harassed she was 12 years old and the abuse continued until she was 15.

The Paris prosecutor’s office in November opened a preliminary probe into “sexual assault of a minor under 15 by a person of authority, and sexual harassment”.

Ruggia’s arrest came days after French prosecutors opened a separate investigation into allegations of rape of a child that sent shockwaves through French cultural circles.

In a book published this month, Vanessa Springora, now 47 and head of France’s Julliard publishing house, alleged sexual abuse by Gabriel Matzneff, an 83-year-old prominent author, when she was 14.

READ MORE:
French filmmaker detained over alleged sexual assault: prosecutors [reuters.com]