Actor Depardieu says hand on the buttocks is not sexual assault, tells court he did not touch plaintiff

By Juliette Jabkhiro

PARIS (Reuters) - Actor Gerard Depardieu, on the third day of a sexual assault trial, told a Paris court on Wednesday that he did not consider placing a hand on a person's buttocks sexual assault and that some women were too easily shocked, but denied assault.

A towering figure of French cinema, Depardieu, 76, has faced a growing number of sexual assault allegations in recent years, which has put a spotlight on how women are treated in the movie industry.

Depardieu has denied wrongdoing and this is the first case over which he is standing trial. He is accused of sexually assaulting two women on a film set in 2021.

"Sexual assault is something more serious than that ... But a hand on someone's buttocks, it's not ... (that)," Depardieu said, when asked about allegations by one of the two plaintiffs that he had groped her, though he later said he didn't know what "sexual assault" meant.

He also denied touching her: "I did not touch her buttocks, I did not touch her breasts, I did none of that."

The young woman, the second plaintiff to testify, said Depardieu had sexually assaulted her.

"I was petrified, I was shocked, I did not know what to say," said the woman, who has asked that her name not be released publicly.

The French criminal code clearly spells out that touching someone's buttocks by surprise, constraint or threat is sexual assault.

CRITICISM OF #METOO MOVEMENT

During the first two days of the trial, which started on Monday, Depardieu criticized the #MeToo movement. He described it on Tuesday as "a form of hysteria."

The global #MeToo movement has exposed powerful men who have been accused of sexual harassment in fields including entertainment, politics and business.

Earlier in the trial, Depardieu admitted grabbing the other plaintiff, Amelie K, by the hips, but denied it was assault.

His lawyer Jeremie Assous has opted for an aggressive line of defence, saying the accusations were false and investigators biased and wanting to bring Depardieu down.

If found guilty, Depardieu could face a sentence of up to five years in jail and a 75,000-euro ($81,000) fine.

Depardieu is also facing rape allegations in a separate case.

Actress Charlotte Arnould, who has accused him of raping her in 2018 when she was 22, was among those present to follow the trial's proceedings.

Depardieu's lawyer alluded to her in court and called her a liar. As Arnould burst in tears, Amelie K looked at her, smiling kindly in a show of support.

The Paris prosecutor's office last year said Depardieu should face trial over Arnould's complaint. Depardieu has denied any wrongdoing. It is now up to an investigative judge to say if there will be a trial over those allegations.

(Reporting by Juliette Jabkhiro; Writing by Ingrid Melander; Editing by Bernadette Baum)