Five years after French actress Adèle Haenel accused director Christophe Ruggia of sexual misconduct, the country’s first high-profile #The MeToo case went to trial on Monday. 

The #MeToo movement, which began as a campaign to support survivors of sexual violence, gained global momentum in 2017 as a rallying cry against systemic abuse and harassment, empowering victims to share their stories and demand accountability.

According to The New York Times, Mr Ruggia, 59, is charged with aggravated sexual assault against a minor, stemming from his alleged conduct towards Ms Haenel when she was a teenager. 

The trial is expected to last two days, and if convicted, he faces up to a decade in prison and a fine of €150,000. 

Mr Ruggia has categorically denied the allegations, claiming his relationship with Ms Haenel was purely platonic. In court, he described the accusations as “pure lies.”  

However, Ms Haenel, now 35, gave harrowing testimony, recounting years of feeling trapped in what she described as a predatory relationship. 

She accused Mr Ruggia of repeatedly touching her inappropriately, professing his love for her, and manipulating her with claims that she was “an adult in the body of a child.”

Addressing the court, she directly confronted him, declaring, “You are a big liar.”  

In 2019, Ms Haenel alleged that Mr Ruggia began grooming her after casting her as the lead in his 2002 film ‘The Devils’, in which she played an autistic girl in an incestuous relationship with her brother.  

After the film’s release, Ms Haenel claimed, she frequently visited Mr Ruggia’s home to watch classic films. 

These visits, she alleged, became the setting for unwanted advances, including inappropriate touching and intimate declarations of love. She ultimately cut ties with him in 2004. 

Years later, she said, he sent her letters professing his longing and love.  

Ms Haenel said her decision to come forward was prompted by watching the 2019 documentary ‘Leaving Neverland’, which chronicles allegations of abuse against the late pop star Michael Jackson. 

She was further motivated by learning that Mr Ruggia was working on a new project involving teenage actors.  

Investigators interviewed 26 individuals connected to ‘The Devils’. 

Some crew members described Mr Ruggia’s behaviour toward Ms Haenel as “intense,” “ambiguous,” and “unhealthy,” while others, including her co-star Vincent Rottiers, said they observed no inappropriate conduct.