Verdict due in Gérard Depardieu sexual assault trial

French cinema prima Gérard Depardieu faces a suspended situation word and registration arsenic a sex-offender if helium is convicted contiguous of assault.

At his proceedings six weeks ago, the tribunal heard grounds from 2 women who said the 76-year-old histrion groped them during enactment connected a movie acceptable successful Paris successful 2021. Depardieu denies the allegations.

In his summing-up earlier the justice connected 27 March, authoritative Laurent Guy said: "It's perfectly imaginable to beryllium an fantabulous histrion and a large begetter - and inactive perpetrate a crime.

"You are not present to walk judgement connected French cinema. You are present to justice Gérard Depardieu, conscionable arsenic you would immoderate different citizen."

The authoritative asked for a suspended situation word of 18 months, arsenic good arsenic a €20,000 (£16,850) good and registration connected the sex-offenders' list.

Claude Vincent, representing 1 of the 2 women plaintiffs, described Depardieu arsenic a "misogynist" and a "case-study successful sexism".

But for the defence, Jérémie Assous demanded an acquittal and called the plaintiffs' squad "more militants than lawyers".

"They cannot carnivore that determination should adjacent beryllium a defence. They deliberation immoderate defence is simply a supplementary assault," helium told the court.

The alleged assaults took spot successful September 2021 erstwhile Depardieu was making a movie called Les Volets Verts (The Green Shutters) astir an ageing histrion coming to presumption with his declining powers.

It was the archetypal clip the histrion appeared successful tribunal connected intersexual battle charges. Several different women person made akin allegations successful the media, and an alleged rape lawsuit could travel to trial.

The archetypal plaintiff - a acceptable decorator - told the tribunal that aft a insignificant statement with Depardieu, helium caught her betwixt his legs and held her by the hips.

The 2nd pistillate - an adjunct manager - said the histrion touched her buttocks and breasts done her apparel connected 3 abstracted occasions.

Depardieu denied the allegations, saying lone that helium mightiness person touched the women accidentally oregon to support his balance.

At the extremity of the hearings, Depardieu said: "My sanction has been dragged done the mud by lies and insults.

"A proceedings tin beryllium a precise peculiar acquisition for an actor. Seeing each this anger, the police, the press. It's similar being successful a subject fabrication film, but it's not subject fiction. It's life."

He thanked the prosecution and defence teams for giving him insights into however courts operate. "These lessons whitethorn beryllium an inspiration for maine 1 time if I get to play a lawyer," helium said.

Depardieu said helium had not worked arsenic an histrion for 3 years since the intersexual allegations against him began to circulate.

However earlier this period it was reported helium had begun enactment successful the Azores connected a movie directed by his friend, the histrion Fanny Ardant. Depardieu is playing a magician connected a mysterious island, according to media reports.

Ardant appeared with Depardieu successful Les Volets Verts and spoke successful his defence astatine the trial.

"Genius - successful immoderate signifier it takes - carries wrong it an constituent of the extravagant, the untamed, the dangerous. (Depardieu) is the monster and the saint," she said.

Another seasoned French histrion took Depardieu's broadside connected Monday. In a uncommon interrogation with French television, Brigitte Bardot, 90, deplored however "talented radical who interaction the buttocks of a miss are consigned to the deepest dungeon."

"Feminism isn't my thing," Bardot said. "Personally, I similar men."