A Paris court on Tuesday found actor Gerard Depardieu guilty of sexually assaulting two women on a film set and handed him an 18-month suspended sentence, with the judge saying he appeared not to have grasped the “traumatic” impact of his behaviour.
In the highest-profile #MeToo case to come before judges in France, Depardieu repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. His lawyer said he would appeal the court’s decision.
Depardieu [argued] that he did not consider placing a hand on a person’s buttocks sexual assault and that some women were too easily shocked.
[The judge said] “He does not seem to have grasped either the concept of consent or the … consequences of his behaviour…”
The takeaway for men: yes, you need consent before grabbing someone’s ass.
I’m saddened by the combination of “he hasn’t understood he did something wrong” and “suspended sentence”. To me, the latter implies that the convicted already has paid their debt to society for their actions, while the former says otherwise
