“Shocked” by Depardieu’s statements, Rima Abdul-Malak says nothing about the rape allegations

A week ago, the show Further investigations dedicated an episode to the accusations of sexual violence against Gérard Depardieu. In several new sequences, we see the actor making sexist and sexual comments of unbearable violence, towards women, but also towards a child.

Not a word about the accusations

At the microphone of Information about France On December 13, Rima Abdul-Malak reacted to these comments. “It shocked me deeply”he said, noting that while expressed in a provocative and humorous tone, these remarks were “extremely serious” : “They are terribly violent and against the very dignity of human beings, women and children”He insisted.

Even if Rima Abdul-Malak considers Depardieu’s statements dehumanizing, we cannot help but ask the question: does Gérard Depardieu’s violence in Further investigations they are far from being limited to verbal violence alone. Why didn’t the accusations of rape and sexual violence make the Minister of Culture react?

Remember that France is “a country of freedom of expression” when it comes to Depardieu

The latter’s rhetorical ambiguity continued when Rima Abdul Malak spoke about director Fabien Onteniente’s decision to no longer work with Gérard Depardieu. The minister then defended the “freedom of expression”without taking sides: “every director, every screenwriter, is free to make his own choices” he defended himself before adding:

” We are a country of freedom of expression and creation, if they wish to offer roles to Gérard Depardieu, they are free to do so “.

Gérard Depardieu has been indicted since 2020 on charges of rape and sexual assault following Charlotte Arnould’s complaint. In April 2023, Mediapart revealed the story of 13 women accuse the actor of sexual assault. On December 7, 2023, the 74-year-old actor was subjected to a second complaint for sexual violence, presented by the actress Hélène Darras.