French media reports that prominent filmmakers Benoît Jacquot and Jacques Doillon have been placed in police custody for questioning regarding allegations of historical sexual abuse.
Actress Judith Godrèche has accused Benoît Jacquot of raping her during childhood, and Jacques Doillon of sexually assaulting her during the same period.
According to AFP news agency, the two filmmakers arrived at the Regional Directorate of the Judicial Police (DRPJ) in Paris on Monday morning.
Both men have denied the allegations, and their legal representatives have criticized their detention.
Marie Dose, Jacques Doillon’s lawyer, argued that no legal grounds justify his detention for questioning “36 years” after the alleged incident. According to French law, individuals can be held in police custody for up to 48 hours.
Earlier this year, Judith Godrèche, aged 51, filed a complaint against Benoît Jacquot, aged 77, accusing him of raping her in 1986 when she was 14 years old.
She alleged that he exerted an unhealthy “hold” over her during a relationship that extended into the 1990s. Additionally, she accused Jacques Doillon of sexual assault during a film shoot in which she acted.
These accusations prompted a joint investigation in February.
Early in her career, Judith Godrèche gained recognition for her roles in two films directed by Benoît Jacquot: “The Beggars” (1987) and “The Disenchanted” (1990). Jacquot has been active in filmmaking since the mid-1970s, and his drama “Farewell, My Queen” opened the 2012 Berlin International Film Festival.
Ms. Godrèche also starred in Jacques Doillon’s 1989 film “The 15 Year Old Girl,” which competed at the Moscow International Film Festival. Doillon’s recent works include “Rodin” and “You, Me and Us.”
She has since appeared in numerous other films, including “The Overnight,” “The Spanish Apartment,” and “The Man in the Iron Mask.”