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Actor Gérard Depardieu at an event in Brussels in 2018

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Thierry Roge / BELGA / dpa

A second woman has sued French actor Gérard Depardieu for sexual assault shortly before his 75th birthday. The actress Hélène Darras accuses the French star of having sexually harassed her in 2007 during the filming of the film "Disco", as the public prosecutor's office in Paris announced. Depardieu is said to have groped her. Darras was 26 years old at the time.

It is currently being examined whether the investigation will continue or whether the case has already become time-barred. Depardieu has not yet commented on the allegations.

Darras told the AFP news agency: "I wanted to counter his defenders who downplay our allegations and claim they are mere reports." She is alluding to the women who had reported sexual abuse by Depardieu in various media, but have not yet filed a complaint.

Depardieu had groped her during filming

It took her a year to press charges, Darras said. "It's not easy to go to a police station and tell a police officer that you've been touched in your private parts. It takes time to think about it."

The head of the producers' union, Marc Missionnier, told France 2: "In the French cinema world, the problematic behaviour of Gérard Depardieu was well known." On Thursday, a documentary on the allegations against Depardieu is to be released, in which Hélène Darras also presents her accusations.

Darras is the second actress to denounce Depardieu: actress Charlotte Arnould accuses him of raping her twice in his apartment in 2018. The public prosecutor's office is investigating.

Depardieu had publicly commented on the allegations for the first time in October: "I have absolutely never abused a woman," he wrote in an open letter. He told Arnould that he had had sex with him voluntarily.

After the lawsuit of the now 28-year-old actress Arnould, 13 other women had come forward in various media, accusing Depardieu of sexualized violence. Since then, Depardieu has largely retired.

The assumption of a dubbing voice in the next film of director Michel Hazanavicius has been cancelled. "In the current context" he did not want to take on any more projects, his agent said. Depardieu will be 27 years old on December 75.

kub/AFP