San Francisco Frontiers - French director gets two years with electronic bracelet for abusing child actor

Adele Haenel, 35, has accused filmmaker Christophe Ruggia, 60, of assaulting her in the early 2000s when she was between 12 and 14 and he was in his late 30s, accusations he has called "pure lies".

The Paris court handed director Ruggia a four-year prison sentence, two years of which were suspended and two of which are to be served with the bracelet instead of in jail.

It ordered him to pay Haenel 15,000 euros ($15,400) in damages, as well as 20,000 euros ($20,500) for the years of psychological therapy she had to follow as a result of the abuse.

Haenel, who starred in the 2019 drama "Portrait of a Lady on Fire" before quitting cinema, was the first prominent actor to accuse the French film industry of turning a blind eye to sexual abuse.

Ruggia directed Haenel in the 2002 movie "The Devils", a tale of an incestuous relationship between a boy and his autistic sister. It was her first film role.

The film contains sex scenes between the children and close-ups of Haenel's naked body.

Investigators said before the trial that members of the film crew had told them of their "unease" with Ruggia's behaviour on set.

Between 2001 and 2004, after shooting the film, the teenager went to see Ruggia nearly every Saturday.

During these visits, she has accused him of caressing her thighs and touching her genitals and breasts.

Haenel, who had appeared nervous in court before the ruling, did not immediately react to the verdict.

But one of Ruggia's lawyers said the filmmaker would be appealing the verdict.

"Because we cannot accept this injustice, Christophe Ruggia is as we speak on his way... to appeal the ruling," lawyer Fanny Collin told the press.

H.King--SFF