Belgian-Dutch actress Sand Van Roy, who had already taken legal action in France, filed a complaint for "rape" before a Belgian court against French filmmaker and producer Luc Besson.

A case of 2018

Sand Van Roy, 37, accuses Luc Besson, 63, of having abused her in a Parisian palace in May 2018, when this ex-model had just collaborated with the director of "Grand bleu" and of the "Fifth Element".

She made an appearance in his film "Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets", released in 2017.

Sand Van Roy suffered a setback two weeks ago in French justice, when the Paris Court of Appeal confirmed the dismissal order issued in December 2021 in favor of Luc Besson.

The decision is in line with what the Paris public prosecutor's office had requested during a hearing in April.

A procedure in the Court of Cassation in France

In parallel with the procedure in France, where the Court of Cassation will now have to rule, Ms. Van Roy has instructed a Belgian lawyer to bring the case to Belgian justice.

A complaint for "rape" was filed in April before the court of Bruges (north-west), said this lawyer, Joris Van Cauter.

Information confirmed by the public prosecutor's office of the Flemish city.

The complaint was filed "before the dismissal" returned on appeal in Paris, "we believe that the investigation in France was not a real investigation, we did not do what must be done", supported Me Van Cauter, refusing to go into detail.

At the Bruges court, an investigating judge was seized of the investigation, and a closed-door hearing is scheduled for September before the council chamber (an investigating court) to decide on the follow-up to be given, said a prosecutor's office spokesperson.

Luc Besson has not yet been heard by the judge, according to this same source.

The lawyer denounces a "diversionary operation"

Since the start of the case four years ago, "seven different French magistrates, judges and prosecutors, all women, have examined these charges and all considered that Luc Besson was innocent and that the criminal investigation had been thorough" , said the lawyer.

On May 18, 2018, Sand Van Roy had filed a complaint for rape, a few hours after an appointment in a Parisian palace, the protagonists of which gave two versions.

The actress says she was the victim of an imposed digital penetration, which resulted in fainting.

Luc Besson consistently denied the accusations and assured that the report was consented.

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Rape charges: the dismissal in favor of Luc Besson confirmed on appeal

Justice

Luc Besson: The Paris Court of Appeal rules on Tuesday on the rape charges against the filmmaker

  • Justice

  • Luc Besson

  • Violence against women

  • Rape

  • Movie theater