Les Diables filmmaker Christophe Ruggia found guilty in Adele Haenel assault case

Christophe Ruggia receives a four-year sentence, with two years suspended, in Adele Haenel assault case.

French director Christophe Ruggia has been found guilty of sexually assaulting actress Adele Haenel when she was a minor. 

A Paris court sentenced him to four years, with two years under house arrest and two years suspended.

Haenel, known for Portrait of a Lady on Fire, first accused Ruggia in 2019, alleging he abused her during and after the filming of Les Diables (The Devils) in the early 2000s, when she was between 12 and 15 years old. Her accusations ignited France’s #MeToo movement, leading her to file a police complaint.

Ruggia denied the allegations throughout the trial. In December, the Paris prosecutor had sought a five-year sentence, including electronic monitoring.

Haenel, now 35, was one of the first high-profile French actors to publicly challenge the industry’s handling of abuse cases. She retired from acting in 2023, citing frustration with the French film industry’s tolerance of abusers. She made headlines in 2020 when she walked out of the César Awards in protest of Roman Polanski winning Best Director.

During the trial, Haenel criticized the industry's lack of accountability, stating, “Assaulting children has consequences… Nobody helped this child.”

Ruggia has not directed a film since the allegations surfaced and has been expelled from industry organizations. His conviction marks a significant milestone in France’s evolving stance on sexual misconduct in the entertainment sector.