Rape Case Against Director Luc Besson Takes a New Turn

A Paris judge has dismissed a rape allegation against French director Luc Besson by the actress Sand Van Roy. The Dutch-Belgian actress, who starred in Besson films including 2017's Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets and 2018's Taxi 5, claimed the director raped her in a Paris hotel in May 2018. Besson denied the accusation. "After a procedure that lasted three and a half years through which many witnesses were questioned and during which a crossed interrogation of Besson and Van Roy took place, the judge had decided to finally dismiss this case," Besson's lawyer, Thierry Marembert, said Thursday, per Variety. Among the witnesses were Besson's former romantic partners, actor-director Maiwenn and actor Anne Parillaud, according to the outlet.

The judge dismissed the case based on the Paris prosecutor's recommendation. The prosecutor had likewise dismissed the allegation in February 2019 following a nine-month investigation, determining "that the criminal acts of rape were not committed, that the absence of consent has not been demonstrated, and that the presence of a constraint, threat, and violence had not been characterized," Marembert said. Van Roy filed a lawsuit a month later with her lawyer arguing the investigation was cursory and rushed. A judge was then appointed to review the case. Van Roy—who appeared at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival with the words "stop violence against women" prominently tattooed across her back—hadn't responded to the decision as of this writing.

She previously described herself as Besson's "private Barbie doll whom he could control, dress, and break," per IndieWire. She also said she lost work as a result of her allegation. MailOnline had outed her within days of her complaint to French police. The outlet agreed to pay damages and legal costs to Van Roy earlier this year, per the Guardian. "I had always intended to remain anonymous in my complaint, and to have that choice taken away from me so soon after the event was almost too much to bear," the actress said in a statement after the reward was announced. "I realized that my life was never going to be the same." Van Roy has since left acting and is pursuing a law degree, per the Guardian. (More Luc Besson stories.)