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    • French court postpones Gerard Depardieu's sex assault trial over his health concerns

    Actor Gerard Depardieu attends the premiere of the movie "Tour de France" in Paris, France, Nov. 14, 2016. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus, File) Actor Gerard Depardieu attends the premiere of the movie "Tour de France" in Paris, France, Nov. 14, 2016. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus, File)
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    PARIS -

    A criminal court in Paris on Monday postponed French actor Gerard Depardieu's trial on charges of sexually assaulting two woman on a film set because of concerns about his health, shifting the start of the proceedings to March.

    Depardieu, who has denied any wrongdoing, is accused of using "violence, coercion, surprise or threat" in the alleged sexual assaults that prosecutors say took place on the set of "Les Volets verts" ("The Green Shutters.")

    The court also ordered an expert to assess the 75-year-old actor's health issues. Depardieu's lawyer Jeremie Assous requested the postponement, saying that the actor has heart trouble and diabetes-related issues.

    Assous said that doctors decided the actor was not well enough to attend the proceedings even though he was eager to appear in court.

    "He is anxious to defend himself, because for over three years, a huge number of inaccuracies, false information and lies have been systematically disseminated and relayed," Assous told The Associated Press. "Now, finally, we're going to be able to have the word of the defence."

    Lawyers for both women also argued in favor of the postponement, saying that their clients want to hear Depardieu's explanations.

    Prosecutors say that in both cases, women reported that the actor trapped them between his legs and groped their buttocks, genitals, chest and breasts over their clothes.

    Outside the courtroom, one of the plaintiffs, a 53-year-old production designer, said "it was extremely difficult to listen to all this violence," after hearing Depardieu's lawyer defending his client. "He questioned everything 螕脟陋 There were a lot of lies, about almost everything actually."

    The Associated Press doesn't generally identify victims of sexual assault without their consent.

    Feminist activists protest outside the court

    France continues to reckon with sexual violence in the wake of the .MeToo movement that initially struggled to find traction, especially in the cinema industry.

    Depardieu "is a coward," French actor Anouk Grinberg told the AP outside the courtroom. Grinberg, who played in "The Green Shutters," said she showed up to court "because I can't take it anymore. It's unbearable, this man's violence against women. And the impunity, it's got to stop, society can't allow it".

    About 100 people gathered outside the court on Monday, some holding signs, responding to a call from several feminist groups to show support for victims of sexual violence. Some activists made their way into the courtroom and sat among other members of the general public attending the hearings.

    Blanche Sabbah, a women's rights activist, said "we're here even though Gerard Depardieu will not show up." The plaintiffs "have showed up. They're here and I am here to support them. That's why all of these feminists are here."

    Prosecutors say there were witnesses on the film set

    According to Paris prosecutors, the production designer told investigators that Depardieu had earlier made sexual remarks and then one day, as she walked past him, he "grabbed her, pulled her toward him, blocked her with his legs, and groped her waist, hips and chest, accompanying his gestures with obscene remarks."

    Prosecutors said three people witnessed it, and that the woman made an attempt to break away from Depardieu's grip and seemed "shocked." A psychiatrist examined her and granted her a seven-day leave, they said.

    After the incident, it was arranged for Depardieu to apologize. But in a TV interview that aired Saturday, the woman said the actor was furious and blamed her for causing trouble. Prosecutors said witnesses confirmed that what Depardieu had said did not constitute an apology.

    In the interview with French online news site Mediapart, the production designer -- who spoke on camera but only gave her first name -- said the incident had taken a toll on her personal and professional life for at least 18 months. She said she could not sleep well, suffered anxiety attacks and lost weight.

    The month before the incident, another woman working on the film set had complained about Depardieu, prosecutors said.

    A director's assistant told investigators that Depardieu had touched her buttocks on several occasions. She said she had expressed her disapproval and in return Depardieu had been insulting toward her. She was also given a six-day leave by a psychiatrist.

    Members of the film industry back Depardieu

    Many have come out in support of Depardieu, including French President Emmanuel Macron, who later expressed "regret" about not having spoken about the importance for victims to speak out.

    Late last year, 56 French performers, writers and producers published an essay defending the film star, saying that when "Gerard Depardieu is targeted this way, it is the art (of cinema) that is being attacked."

    Their call came just weeks after national broadcaster France 2 put out a documentary outlining accusations of sexual misconduct by 16 women against Depardieu, and showed the actor making obscene remarks and gestures during a 2018 trip to North Korea.

    In the footage, Depardieu can be seen making groaning sounds and sexual comments in front of women, including a girl about 10 years old who is riding a horse. He can also be seen posing for a photo, saying he was "touching the bottom" of a North Korean interpreter by his side.

    Depardieu was charged in 2020 with rape and sexual assault following allegations from actor Charlotte Arnould.

    In an open letter, Depardieu said last year, "I have never, ever abused a woman."

    The actor was long seen as a national icon in France. He has been a global ambassador for French film and enjoyed international fame with several roles in Hollywood.

    ---

    AP Journalists Nicolas Garriga and Marine Lesprit

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