Top French court docket drops rape case towards Filmmaker Luc Besson

By AFP

PARIS: France’s high appeals court docket on Wednesday rejected a request to reopen a rape declare towards movie director Luc Besson, ending one of the crucial high-profile instances to emerge within the nation’s MeToo motion towards sexual assault.

Dutch-Belgian actress Sand Van Roy accused Besson, director of “The Fifth Element” and “Leon” — of raping her throughout a two-year on-off relationship, and filed a grievance towards him in May 2018.

Prosecutors dropped the case in February 2019 citing an absence of proof, and after new prices had been filed by Van Roy, an appeals court docket additionally closed that case in May final 12 months.

In a ruling seen by AFP, the Cour de Cassation, the court docket of final resort for legal instances, stated there was “no reason to justify pursuing an appeal” of the earlier rulings.

“The Cour de Cassation has decided not to hear my appeal, which means once again the French judiciary refuses to examine the evidence in this case,” Van Roy stated on Twitter.

“I will pursue these cases and will file a request with the European Court of Human Rights,” she stated.

A lawyer for Besson, who has denied the claims, stated the choice “ends all the procedures of the past five years, which have found him not guilty”.

Besson has admitted having a relationship with Van Roy, who had minor roles in his movies “Taxi 5” and “Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets”.

She filed the preliminary grievance for rape in May 2018 hours after assembly Besson, earlier than submitting one other grievance two months later for different alleged rapes and sexual assaults.

At least three different ladies have made allegations of sexual harassment towards Besson, which he has additionally denied.

PARIS: France’s high appeals court docket on Wednesday rejected a request to reopen a rape declare towards movie director Luc Besson, ending one of the crucial high-profile instances to emerge within the nation’s MeToo motion towards sexual assault.

Dutch-Belgian actress Sand Van Roy accused Besson, director of “The Fifth Element” and “Leon” — of raping her throughout a two-year on-off relationship, and filed a grievance towards him in May 2018.

Prosecutors dropped the case in February 2019 citing an absence of proof, and after new prices had been filed by Van Roy, an appeals court docket additionally closed that case in May final 12 months.

In a ruling seen by AFP, the Cour de Cassation, the court docket of final resort for legal instances, stated there was “no reason to justify pursuing an appeal” of the earlier rulings.

“The Cour de Cassation has decided not to hear my appeal, which means once again the French judiciary refuses to examine the evidence in this case,” Van Roy stated on Twitter.

“I will pursue these cases and will file a request with the European Court of Human Rights,” she stated.

A lawyer for Besson, who has denied the claims, stated the choice “ends all the procedures of the past five years, which have found him not guilty”.

Besson has admitted having a relationship with Van Roy, who had minor roles in his movies “Taxi 5” and “Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets”.

She filed the preliminary grievance for rape in May 2018 hours after assembly Besson, earlier than submitting one other grievance two months later for different alleged rapes and sexual assaults.

At least three different ladies have made allegations of sexual harassment towards Besson, which he has additionally denied.