French Film Directors Benoit Jacquot and Jacques Doillon Detained After Rape and Sexual Assault Accusations by Actress Judith Godreche
French film directors Benoit Jacquot and Jacques Doillon have been detained by police following allegations of sexual abuse. The directors, aged 77 and 80 respectively, were seen arriving at a Paris police station with their lawyers.
Actress and director Judith Godreche has accused Jacquot of rape and Doillon of sexual assault during her minor years. Godreche, now 52, claims Jacquot exerted an unhealthy influence over her in a relationship that began when she was 14, from 1986 to 1992. She also alleges abuse by Doillon on a film set.
Jacquot and Doillon have denied the accusations. Actress Isild Le Besco, 41, has also accused Jacquot of raping her between 1998 and 2007, during a relationship that started when she was 16 and he was 52. Actor Julia Roy, 34, has filed a complaint against Jacquot for sexual assault, citing a violent and coercive environment over several years.
The directors’ lawyers argue that their detention for questioning was unnecessary and emphasized their presumption of innocence. Jacquot’s lawyer, Julia Minkowski, stated he would finally have the chance to present his side legally. Doillon’s attorney, Marie Dose, questioned the justification for his detention 36 years after the alleged incident.
Sources indicate the interrogation could involve confrontations with the accusers. Godreche expressed on Instagram her emotional response to the police action, sharing a picture of her younger self with Jacquot.
Godreche was 14 when she met Jacquot, then 39, on the set of his film “Les Mendiants” in 1986. Le Monde reports they had an intimate relationship for six years, and Godreche has accused Jacquot of predatory behavior and violent rape of a minor under 15 by someone in a position of authority.