French filmmakers Benoît Jacquot and Jacques Doillon have been detained by police for questioning regarding historical sexual abuse allegations, according to French media.
Actress Judith Godrèche has accused Benoît Jacquot of raping her when she was a child and Jacques Doillon of sexually assaulting her, also during her childhood.
The AFP news agency reports that both filmmakers arrived at the Regional Directorate of the Judicial Police (DRPJ) in Paris on Monday morning.
Both men have denied the allegations, and their lawyers have criticized their detention. Marie Dose, Jacques Doillon’s lawyer, argued that there were no legal grounds for questioning him “36 years” after the alleged incident.
Under French law, police custody can last up to 48 hours. Earlier this year, Judith Godrèche, now 51, filed a complaint against Benoît Jacquot, 77, accusing him of rape in 1986, when she was 14.
She claimed he had an unhealthy “hold” over her during a relationship that extended into the 1990s. She also accused Jacques Doillon of sexually assaulting her on the set of one of his films.
These accusations led to a joint investigation in February.
In response to the custody, Godrèche posted a teenage photo of herself with Jacquot on Instagram, with the caption: “I’m crying… From all this… I don’t know if I have the strength but I will have it. I will have it… For her.”
Judith Godrèche was known in the early part of her career for her roles in Jacquot’s films “The Beggars” (1987) and “The Disenchanted” (1990).
Jacquot, who began directing in the mid-1970s, is known for his drama “Farewell, My Queen,” which opened the 2012 Berlin International Film Festival.
Godrèche also starred in Jacques Doillon’s 1989 film, “The 15 Year Old Girl,” which was entered into the Moscow International Film Festival.
Doillon’s recent films include “Rodin” and “You, Me and Us.” Godrèche has since appeared in numerous films, including “The Overnight,” “The Spanish Apartment,” and “The Man in the Iron Mask.”
Source-BBC
