French Porn Actors Charged With Rape In Country First
Published
Four French porn actors have been charged with rape in what has been described as a historic first for the country’s adult film industry.
The actors have been taken into custody one year after women in the industry began speaking up about having experienced harassment and abuse.
In what is regarded as a significant turning point for the industry’s #MeToo movement, investigators have identified at least 50 survivors, as told to AFP by a source familiar with the investigation.
Dozens of female porn actors came forward in 2020 following an investigation into an amateur porn hub, sharing experiences of abuse suffered on both amateur and professional film sets.
One actor alleged that she’d experienced pain for days after having been forced into participating in sex acts by a director. Others recalled times when directors forced them to take part in scenes which had not been previously discussed.
Another actor has alleged she was forced to engage in a sex act with a man who hadn’t been wearing a condom. This same man had allegedly lied about testing negative for STIs and had contracted herpes.
Back in 2020, four individuals in France, including two producers, were charged with pimping and modern slavery. However, this case marks the first time in the country’s history that actors in the porn industry have been charged with rape.
This comes after thousands of survivors across France recently took to social media to share stories of police officers not taking their allegations seriously, under the hashtag #DoublePeine (victimised twice).
As reported by France 24, this outpouring was sparked by an Instagram post by feminist activist Anna Toumazoff in regards to women’s experiences reporting assaults at the main police station in the French city of Montpellier.
If you have been affected by any of the issues in this article and wish to speak to someone in confidence, contact the Rape Crisis England and Wales helpline on 0808 802 9999 between 12pm–2.30pm and 7pm– 9.30pm every day. Alternatively, you can contact Victim Support free on 08 08 16 89 111 available 24/7, every day of the year, including Christmas
Male Survivors Partnership is available to support adult male survivors of sexual abuse and rape. You can contact the organisation on their website or on their free helpline 0808 800 5005, open 9am–5pm Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays; 8am–8pm Tuesdays and Thursdays; 10am–2pm Saturdays
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