César film awards ban nominees investigated for sexual violence

France’s Oscars has declared it will not accept anyone who could be sentenced to prison for sexual assault after its 2023 ceremony.

The César Awards – due to be held next month – said it was acting out of respect for any possible victims.

It also means that Sofiane Benjamin, a French actor, will be absent from the ceremony. Bennacer is being investigated for rape allegations.

There were concerns about protests if Bennacer did not attend.

It was the result of a backlash that occurred in 2020 after Roman Polanski (US wanted for statutory rape) won best director.

The César Academy, which distributes the awards, removed Mr Bennacer from the list of nominations in November, and said it was considering a rule change around eligibility.

It has now announced that anyone under investigation for violent crimes punishable with imprisonment, especially sexual offenses, will be barred to attend this year’s ceremony at 25 February.

This rule applies to anyone who was convicted of such an offense.

The Academy will vote to decide whether or not to permanently alter the eligibility criteria.

“Outrageous respect for victims… It has been decided that we will not highlight anyone who may have been involved by the judiciary, in acts or violence,” it stated in a statement. This included “presumed” victims in cases being investigated.

25-year-old Mr Bennacer was nominated to play the role of Les Amandiers, a title titled Forever Young in abroad. This nomination came before police opened an investigation into claims of rape or sexual assault.

He denied the allegations, and Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, the film’s director, stated that he was the victim in a “media lynching”.

Former French First Lady Carla Bruni, her sister, stated that the treatment of the actor undermined innocence.

The Academy faces ongoing scrutiny over allegations of sexual violence in film production.

After Mr Polanski won the best director nomination, the entire board resigned. After he was nominated for best director, there was much outcry and several actresses left the ceremony.

Since the 1970s, Mr Polanski is wanted by the US authorities for the statutory sexual assault of a girl aged 13. In 1977, he admitted to unlawful sex with minors and was sentenced to six weeks imprisonment. He fled the US in concern that a plea deal would be scrapped.

Valentine Monnier, a former model accused of rape in 2019, claimed that he raped her in 1975. A lawyer for Mr Polanski stated that he refuted the allegation in the strongest terms.