A southern Italian judge ordered the release of director Paul Haggis from detention at his hotel on Monday. He was arrested in early June on rape charges and subsequently sent to house arrest.
The decision was pronounced by Judge Vilma Gilli, of the Puglia Region. At the moment, prosecutors are deciding whether to proceed with the investigation and validate the sexual abuse allegations.
The director’s lawyer, Michele Laforgia, claims that the judge understood that there were no signs of violence or abuse found in the alleged victim.
According to various Italian media reports and a statement by the prosecutors of the nearby city of Brindisi, Haggis was accused by a “foreigner” of forcing her to have sex for two days.
This is not the first sexual assault charge against Haggis. In 2017, publicist Haleigh Breest sued the director, claiming he violently raped her in her New York apartment after a premiere in 2013.
After the allegation went public, three other women sued the director and screenwriter for sexual misconduct. She denied all allegations.
Source: Terra
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