Pallade Veneta - Verdict due in Depardieu sexual assault case

The actor is facing a possible 18-month suspended prison sentence for the alleged sexual assault of two women on a 2021 movie set -- charges he denied during the closely watched trial.

Depardieu, who has acted in more than 200 films and television series, is the highest-profile figure caught up in France's response to the #MeToo movement.

Around 20 women have accused the actor of assault or inappropriate behaviour, but this is the first case to come to court.

The trial relates to charges of sexual assault during the filming in 2021 of "Les Volets Verts" ("The Green Shutters") by director Jean Becker.

The plaintiffs are a set dresser, 54, identified only as Amelie, and a 34-year-old assistant director, who accuse the actor of sexual assault. Of the two, only Amelie is expected to be present for the verdict.

Depardieu, who is currently filming a movie in Portugal, will also attend, his lawyer Jeremie Assous told broadcaster Franceinfo.

The Paris Criminal Court will deliver its verdict from 10:00 am (0800 GMT).

- 'Lack of remorse' -

In March, lead prosecutor Laurent Guy recommended an 18-month suspended jail term for Depardieu, arguing that the sentence "takes into account the total lack of remorse" shown by the defendant.

He said Depardieu should also be ordered to undergo psychological treatment and be added to France's sex offender registry.

Amelie testified that Depardieu pinned her down in 2021 on set, saying, "he was very strong" and "groped" her.

She also said Depardieu made "obscene remarks" and suggestions, boasting he could "give women an orgasm without touching them".

The 34-year-old plaintiff said Depardieu initially assaulted her when she accompanied him from his dressing room to the set.

"It was nighttime... he put his hand on my buttocks," she said, adding that the actor assaulted her on two other occasions.

Depardieu, 76, has denied sexually assaulting the women.

"I'm vulgar, rude, foul-mouthed, I'll accept that," he told the court, but he added: "I don't touch."

"I adore women and femininity," he also said, while describing the #MeToo movement as a "reign of terror".

Throughout the trial, Depardieu has been supported by his daughter Roxane, his ex-partner Karine Silla and actor Vincent Perez.

And on Monday, he won public backing from French film star Brigitte Bardot.

"Those who have talent and put their hands on a girl's bottom are thrown in the gutter," Bardot said.

"We could at least let them get on with their lives. They can't live anymore."

- 'Sexism and misogyny' -

Lawyers for the two plaintiffs denounced the approach of Depardieu's defence team.

The actor's lawyer Jeremie Assous called the two women "liars" and "hysterical", arguing they were working for the cause of "rabid feminism".

Claude Vincent, the assistant director's lawyer, said: "What we witnessed was not a defence strategy" but "an apology for sexism".

In an open letter, nearly 200 French lawyers urged the judiciary to fight what they called courtroom sexism.

Depardieu's lawyer had "used sexism and misogyny to his heart's delight" to discredit the plaintiffs and their legal team, they said.

Depardieu has also been indicted in another case following a rape complaint filed by actor Charlotte Arnould, 29. Prosecutors have requested a trial.

In April, French MPs criticised "endemic" abuse in the entertainment industry after a six-month inquiry.

Depardieu became a star in France from the 1980s, winning the Best Actor award in 1990 for his performance in "Cyrano de Bergerac".

F.Abruzzese--PV