Paul Haggis won’t have to go to trial for an alleged sexual assault that took place in Italy in 2022, as a judge has dismissed the charges against the filmmaker.
In June 2022, Haggis was
arrested in Brindisi, Italy, on accusations of sexual assault
Following statements from a “young foreign female” who claimed she was “compelled to receive medical attention” after experiencing “unwanted sexual encounters” with an individual identified as Haggis by Italian officials, investigations were initiated.
According to prosecutors, the purported victim was released at a close-by airport early Sunday morning after allegedly spending two days with Haggis. Personnel from the airport police reported finding this individual in a highly unstable physical and mental condition, appearing bewildered. She underwent examination at a local medical facility before informing officials about the alleged sexual assault and subsequently filing official charges.
Haggis was
detained
Until July 2022, at which point he was
released
From house arrest while awaiting the completion of the investigation. However, on Thursday, an Italian judge determined that no non-consensual sexual activity took place and officially dismissed the charges against Haggis.
the BBC reports
.
“For Mr. Haggis, it is the end of a nightmare that has unfairly shattered the career of a film genius and 2006 Oscar winner,” his lawyers, Michele Laforgia and Daniele Romeo, said in a statement.
In late 2017 and early 2018, several women came forward with
accusations of sexual impropriety against Haggis
, including publicist Haleigh Breest, who initiated a civil lawsuit against the screenwriter of ” Million Dollar Baby”; this civil trial concluded in November 2022 with Haggis.
ordered to pay $10 million in damages
to Breest.
Priya Chaudhry, who represented Haggis during the trial, issued a statement to Rolling Stone on Thursday after the Italian charges were dropped. She stated, “Paul’s innocence has been evident all along—and it became clear that this woman fabricated her claims. Given when she made these allegations and how inevitably they unraveled, it seems highly likely that her false accusations were meticulously orchestrated with the intent to disrupt Paul’s separate legal proceedings just before his scheduled court date—designed specifically to cause substantial harm and shift both media coverage and public sentiment against him. Now everyone must reconsider whether an outcome reached under such circumstances can truly hold up as credible, considering the strategic timing of the baseless charge which aimed for worldwide attention, stirred public outrage, and irrevocably tainted the judicial process.”
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