World News for Students of English

16-05-2025 07:00

Gérard Depardieu, a well-known French actor, has been found guilty of sexually assaulting two women on a film set in 2021.

The court gave him an 18-month suspended prison sentence. He also can’t run for election for two years and must be listed in the national database of sexual offenders. The victims were a costume designer and an assistant, aged 54 and 34. Although Depardieu denied the accusations, he admitted to using vulgar language and touching the hips of one woman, claiming it was not sexual. In addition to the sentence, Depardieu must pay the two women 1,000 and 2,000 euros for secondary victimisation. However, he was not fined the 20,000 euros that the prosecutor requested. His lawyer announced that Depardieu will appeal the decision.

The case is considered a major test for how France and its film industry deal with sexual misconduct claims after the #MeToo movement. Depardieu has faced accusations from over 20 women. One rape case from 2018 remains active and may go to trial soon.

Difficult words: suspended (not active unless another crime happens), secondary (occurring as a result of something else), victimisation (treating someone badly, especially again and again), misconduct (unacceptable or improper behavior).

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