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The Paris prosecutor announced Wednesday to have opened a preliminary investigation after the statements of the French actress Adele Haenel, who said she was a victim when she was a teenager. Laurent Emmanuel / AFP

The Paris prosecutor's office opened an investigation for "sexual assault" following the testimony of Adele Haenel. The actress accused the director Christophe Ruggia of having sexually assaulted her when she was between twelve and fifteen years old. A charge supported by a long investigation of our colleagues of Mediapart.

Adèle Haenel had declared that she did not trust justice. Reason why the actress decided not to complain as a result of her testimony.

It is therefore the justice that comes to it with the opening of a preliminary investigation by the parquet of Paris. This has been entrusted to the Central Office for the Repression of Violence against Persons (OCRVP). It will be up to his investigators to determine what happened on the set of The Devils and the years that followed.

Also listen: Caroline De Haas: "The life of Adele Haenel will not be the same, because she had the courage to speak"

Adèle Haenel and Mediapart's extensive investigation accused Christophe Ruggia, the director of the film, of his influence on her, of constant sexual harassment and repeated touching when she was between 12 and 15 years old.

For its part, the director defends himself on Wednesday in an open letter. He writes regretfully that he played the part of Pygmalion - it is his term - with Adele Haenel, but denies all touching.

► See also: Adèle Haenel unveils omerta in French cinema