French prosecutors drop rape investigation against filmmaker Luc Besson

EuropaCorp SA

25/02/2019 16:14

PARIS, Feb 25 (Reuters) - French prosecutors have dropped a
preliminary investigation into rape allegations against film
director Luc Besson, the public prosecutor's office said on
Monday. 
    Prosecutors in Paris opened an investigation in May last
year, which according to police sources followed allegations by
a 27-year-old actress that she had been raped by Besson after
meeting him at a hotel in the French capital. Besson had denied
the allegations. 
    The case was dropped after "numerous investigations" which
did not lead judicial police to fully stand up the claim, the
prosecutor's office said in a statement. 
    The "Nikita" and "Taken" director welcomed prosecutors'
announcement, his lawyer Thierry Marembert said. 
    "This decision follows a very thorough investigation carried
out by judicial police, which (Besson) fully cooperated with,"
he said. 
    Shares in his production company EuropaCorp  ECP.PA  rose
more than 15 percent on the news.
    

 (Reporting by Emmanuel Jarry, Writing by Sarah White, Editing
by Angus MacSwan)
 ((sarah.white1@thomsonreuters.com; + 33 (0) 1 49 49 56 85;))