Accused of assault and sexual harassment by the actress Adèle Haenel, Christophe Ruggia was quick to react. In a right of reply published in its entirety Wednesday, November 6 on the site of Mediapart, three days after the publication of the investigation against him, the director denies the accusations of the actress.

"I never had to her, I repeat, the physical acts and sexual harassment behavior that she accuses me," he wrote after developing the conditions for their meeting and the filming of the film "The Devils ", first feature film by Adèle Haenel.

"But I made the mistake of playing the pygmalions with the misunderstandings and hindrances that such a posture arouses." The director's grip on the actress he had directed and with whom he dreamed of turn again, "he acknowledges then before asking forgiveness.

"I had not seen that my adulation and hopes that I put in it could have appeared to him, considering its young age, as painful at times.If so and if it can I ask him to forgive me, "he continues.

Positioning himself as a victim in turn, he deplores in conclusion his "social exclusion". "The Middle Ages had invented the punishment of the pillory but it was the punishment of a culprit who had been condemned by the justice.Now, one draws, out of any process, media pillories just as crucifying and painful".

Opening of a preliminary inquiry

Earlier in the day, the Paris prosecutor's office had announced the opening of a preliminary investigation for counts of "sexual assault" on minors under 15 years "per person with authority" and "sexual harassment". The investigation was entrusted to the Central Office for the Repression of Violence against Persons (OCRVP).

The actress of 30 years however did not wish to file a complaint, regretting the "few" convictions pronounced in this type of case. Despite the absence of a complaint, the Paris public prosecutor's office had the possibility of self-seizing the case as part of an "own-initiative inquiry".

"I never thought about justice because there is systemic violence against women in the justice system," she said.

Asked Wednesday morning on the case, the custody of the seals Nicole Belloubet had felt that Adele Haenel should instead take the case. "She is wrong to think that justice can not respond to this type of situation," said the minister on France Inter, while welcoming the character "very courageous" of his approach.

With AFP