One of the two plaintiffs, Amelie K, a set decorator, told the court the actor had groped her all over her body as he trapped her between his legs and made explicit sexual comments. “He touched everything, including my breasts,” she recalled. “I was terrified, he was laughing.” The presiding judge said two witnesses corroborated her account whilst Depardieu, who was not present for the ruling, had been contradictory in his own accounts.

Amelie K’s lawyer described the ruling as a “beautiful decision” that gave recognition to Depardieu’s victims. Depardieu has faced a growing number of sexual assault allegations in recent years, which has put a spotlight on how women are treated in the movie industry. He has consistently denied wrongdoing. His trial has laid bare a generational divide in France over sexism, with some prominent older actresses defending him. Brigitte Bardot, 90, told broadcaster BFM TV on Monday that “those who have talent and grope a girl get thrown into the gutter”.

Denying sexual assault, Depardieu had argued before the court that he did not consider placing a hand on a person’s buttocks sexual assault and that some women were too easily shocked.-Agencies