Dominique Boutonnat, president of France’s CNC, will stand trial for alleged sexual assault on June 14, the French court of Nanterre has confirmed.
The case dates back to February of 2021 when Boutonnat was indicted for “tentative of rape” of his godson during a family holiday in Greece stemming from a complaint filed in 2020. The court has since decreased the charge to attempted sexual assault. He continues to strongly deny the accusations. When contacted by Screen, the CNC would not comment on the situation.
Boutonnat, one of the most powerful figures in French cinema, remains in his position and the pending trial has not affected Boutonnat’s day to day activities. Even amid the charges, he was appointed by the French government for a second three-year term in July of 2022.
Last week, actress Judith Godrèche, who has become the face of a recent resurgence of the French #MeToo movement, spoke at a hearing at the French senate urging the government to remove Boutonnat from his position. Two members of the Senate subsequently sent a letter addressed to just appointed cultural minister Rachida Dati requesting that she ask Boutonnat to step down from his post.
The French government’s official position continues to be the presumption of innocence unless otherwise proven guilty.
Boutonnat’s trial will begin on June 14, but a verdict could take several months.
While the trial itself has not affected the daily operation of France’s main film institution, the affair has been at the centre of a media firestorm amidst a new wave of #MeToo allegations that began with accusations against veteran actor Gerard Depardieu and continues to remain a major focus of a French film industry reckoning with its past.
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