‘Impunity is growing‘: French celebrities call for law to crack down on sexism and sexual violence

Writers, actors, journalists and politicians published petition in Le Monde after learning 94% of complaints were dismissed in 2022
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THE WEINSTEIN OF FRENCH CINEMA

The #MeToo movement explodes at the Cannes Film Festival: nine women accuse producer Alain Sarde of abuse

• More than a hundred film personalities such as Juliette Binoche and Isabelle Adjani denounce the inaction of the authorities in a manifesto

Sarre is just the first name on a list of sexual offenders within the film industry that is expected to come to light during the event, as was suggested a few days ago. This information coincides with the publication in the newspaper Le Monde of a column in which a hundred personalities from the world of cinema, including actresses Juliette Binoche, Isabelle Adjani, and Emmanuelle Béart, denounce the authorities’ inaction in the face of reports of sexual abuse in the industry and demand a comprehensive law against sexual violence.

In their manifesto, they call for « a comprehensive law » against this type of violence « that is ambitious and well-resourced » because in their opinion « despite the courage of the victims, impunity is on the rise. » They also demand specialized brigades or the prohibition of investigating the sexual past of the victims, for whom they request immediate and free access to psychological assistance.

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In another development, around 100 personalities from the world of culture and entertainment – including actresses Godrèche and Gérard Depardieu-accuser Charlotte Arnould as well as Isabelle Adjani, Charlotte Arnould, Emmanuelle Béart, Juliette Binoche, Emma de Caunes and Isild Le Besco – published an open letter on the site of Le Monde on Tuesday calling for reforms to French laws around sexual crimes and the legal definition of consent.

« We come together to demand a comprehensive law against sexual and gender-based violence, ambitious and equipped with resources. Because, despite the courage of the victims, impunity is growing. It is unacceptable that the rate of dismissal of complaints for sexual violence has reached the crazy figure of 94% in

2022., » read the letter.

The signatories said the proposed new law should clarify the definition of « rape » and « consent » and introduce that of « incest », suggesting that such a move would change the outcomes of many cases.
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