French film director Christophe Ruggia guilty of sexually assaulting actress Adèle Haenel in first MeToo trial

On Monday (February 3), a Paris court convicted Ruggia of sexually assaulting Haenel when she was between 12 and 15 years old in the early 2000s. The ruling marks France’s first major trial linked to the MeToo movement.

Ruggia was sentenced to two years under house arrest with an electronic bracelet, along with a two-year suspended sentence. He has denied any wrongdoing, and his lawyer confirmed he will appeal the conviction.

Haenel, now 35, became the first high-profile star in France to publicly accuse the film industry of turning a blind eye to sexual abuse in the wake of the MeToo movement. In 2019, she alleged that Ruggia had repeatedly inappropriately touched her during and after the filming of Les Diables (The Devils) in the early 2000s.

As the verdict was delivered, Haenel appeared visibly relieved, taking deep breaths. She was applauded by women’s rights activists as she left the courtroom.

The court ruled that Ruggia “took advantage of the dominant position” he held over Haenel at the time. It stated that “during quasi-weekly meetings at your home for over three years you had sexualised gestures and attitudes” while Haenel was “gradually isolated” from her loved ones.

Haenel, known for her role in Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019), has been outspoken about the lack of accountability for sexual abuse in the French film industry.

At the 2020 César Awards, she walked out of the ceremony when director Roman Polanski - who remains wanted in the U.S. for the 1977 rape of a 13-year-old girl - won Best Director.

In 2023, she announced she was quitting the French film industry, denouncing its “complacency toward sexual aggressors.” In an open letter, she accused institutions like Cannes of being “ready to do anything to defend their rapist chiefs.”