French actor Depardieu goes on trial on sexual assault charges

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00:00The French actor, Gérard Depardieu, went on trial this Monday in Paris.

00:04He's facing charges of sexually assaulting two women on a movie set

00:08in a case seen as a potential watershed for the MeToo movement in France.

00:12Depardieu is 76 years old. He's accused of having groped a 54-year-old set dresser

00:16and a 34-year-old assistant director during filming in 2021

00:20of the film Les Volets Verts, The Green Shutters.

00:24The actor faces up to five years in prison on fine of €75,000 if convicted.

00:29Depardieu denies any wrongdoing. He told the judges he's prepared to answer the court's questions.

00:35Shirley Sipron is in court. She joins us now live.

00:38Shirley, tell us more about the case.

00:42Well, today was an extremely long first day and very offensive.

00:47The defense was very offensive.

00:50They said that the whole trial is biased, even before it even started.

00:54The investigation itself, police and the general attorney said the lawyers of the defense were against Gérard Depardieu.

01:02He gives one example, which is the testimonies of the people who were there on the day of the alleged attack.

01:09Many people were there. It was on a film while it was shot, and it was a crew that was there.

01:16And the lawyer says that only the three people who said they saw the alleged attack or parts of it were quoted and cited in the investigation.

01:26And the lawyer says that many other people who were there said they did not see it.

01:30So he said several things about this, that the whole case should be nullified entirely, that there should be no trial at all.

01:38Then he said, well, if there is a trial, well, we're demanding several things, a reenactment of the assault

01:44and also a medical test, a medical test on Gérard Depardieu to prove he's incapable of doing what he's accused of.

01:52You said it. He's accused of groping to women and of trapping a woman between his legs.

01:58His lawyer says it's impossible for him to do such a thing.

02:02And he basically the people who are accusing him, they said, well, this is just a tactic.

02:08The fact that the defense is asking for so many things instead of getting into the facts and listening to the people who are there now in court.

02:16Well, they're choosing to ask for many, many new investigations.

02:21So the accusation is saying, think about the victims here.

02:26They want their trial. Everything is theirs.

02:28There's no bias against Gérard Depardieu.

02:31On the contrary, if there was any other man who had all these elements against him, there would have already been a trial.

02:38Well, tomorrow, the court will rule on various elements requested by Gérard Depardieu's lawyer.

02:45And, well, we must say that the defense did set the tone for this trial.

02:52The trial of Gérard Depardieu continues as does our coverage. Thank you very much indeed.

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