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Let me help you.
There.
Have a good day.
Him
- Hello. - Mr. Farel?
- May I? - Thanks very much.
Yeah, Dad, it's me.
I just got in. I'm on my way home.
You must be excited. Tomorrow's the big day.
I can't wait, and I'm happy to see you.
See you shortly.
And thanks for the ride.
Go on, answer.
Just my son.
How is he?
Excellent. Still at Stanford.
Brilliant.
Stanford!
You never went to school. Proud?
Very proud.
Jean, I'll cut to the chase. Weekly Exam won't be renewed.
It's had a 30-year run.
People want change.
Fresh stuff.
Taking swipes at my age now?
It's your show I'm cancelling, not you.
We all need fresh faces.
As you know, no marriages last forever.
By the way, how is Claire?
Send her my love.
The depths of your vulgarity never cease to amaze me.
Are we done?
Don't take this personally.
Of course not.
I'll greet the minister after the show.
I won't have time afterwards.
Oh yes, sorry. Tomorrow's the big night.
- Commander of the Legion of Honor. - Grand Officer!
Next stop, Grand Cross?
You'll get a state funeral.
That bitch wants me out ever since she took over.
You're so complex, yet so black and white!
Either people love you or hate you.
Not liking my show means not liking me. And she doesn't.
She's settling scores with the idiots she screwed
to make it to the top.
- Fucked her too? - At least 10 years ago.
- She's taking revenge. - For what?
Your words are violent.
In today's world I define "violent" differently.
Let's work. Where are they?
Waiting in your office.
Hello... Let's see!
Hello.
All his interviews from the past four months.
Why just four months? Go back further!
- I'll start with this. - His tweets.
In blue, the most controversial ones.
In pink, the most retweeted responses.
Forget the tweets. They're too offensive.
He'll just stonewall us.
We'll go about it gently.
I want him to feel at ease.
If you send "message read receipts", you should answer.
I came from San Francisco for him.
He's pre-recording his show.
So he comes back late.
If he comes back.
He had me take your blue suit to the cleaner's.
I brought a suit.
He insists you wear the blue one.
Insists?
Does my haircut suit him?
I don't know why I came. He drives me crazy!
Here.
I made it for you, honey.
How lovely, Marianne.
You're the only one here to greet me.
Not just my dad, my mom too.
Ever see her?
Is she doing okay?
She never calls.
I don't see much of her.
Not since she moved in with that gentleman.
Speak of the devil.
With Marianne.
I'll send your love.
She sends hers too.
Yeah I'm at home. I mean...
Dad's and my place.
It's nice to invite me to dinner, but I just got in, I'm alone.
What time?
That's in 15 minutes.
So good luck.
Okay, see you tonight.
I love you too. Bye.
She's on France Inter in 15 minutes.
A woman was raped by a group of migrants
in Calais last week.
To discuss, Claire Farel,
essayist,
and Florence Laplace, head of "Women's Word",
the NGO defending migrant rights in this case.
Claire Farel, hello.
Let's start with you.
You broke from some leftist women - intellectuals, politicians -
who fear this case will be co-opted by racists.
Thank you.
Instead of condemning the violence perpetrated against this woman,
Ms. Laplace warns us against succumbing to generalizations.
We're in a topsy-turvy world in which feminists
privilege rapists' rights over victims' rights.
Yes, I'm against lumping all immigrants together,
but I refuse to shut my eyes
on the vile acts committed by these men on French soil
simply because they're migrants.
I've read you. You practice White, bourgeois feminism
disconnected from today's reality.
We all know the real problem is sexual violence in general!
For you, only migrants are to blame.
That's unacceptable.
If you had really read me,
you'd know I denounced, far before it became fashionable,
sexual violence in general.
But these men come from countries where men control women's bodies.
Sexual violence always existed. It's not imported.
The patriarchy always existed. It's beyond borders.
Are you playing into the far right?
Should we shut up, for fear that the far right scores a point?
We condemn these men for what they did,
not for who they are.
Ours is a country of laws.
Every person on its soil must obey them.
Like the 14,000 rape accusations made yearly in France,
not to mention the victims too scared to speak.
Thanks only to men: psychopaths and fathers.
Go to the courthouse, Mrs. Farel.
Assailants can be anyone.
You, a feminist?
You've decided to abandon women.
All sexual assailants,
and I do mean all,
must be heavily sentenced.
When they are foreigners, we must be equally firm.
Thank you, Claire and Florence.
We are, alas, out of time.
Yes?
If you change your mind.
Thanks, Marianne.
I'm in Paris.
I'd like to see you.
Answer me. Please.
I miss your body.
Yasmina, CALL ME!
Stop texting me.
I want to see you.
No.
I'll come by.
No, you're not coming by.
My new job doesn't mesh with our past.
As chief-of-staff to the Minister of the Economy?
Alexandre, I'd like you to destroy all our correspondence.
Email, text messages.
No.
It's my emotional past. I'm fond of it.
I reread them sometimes.
Please.
They get me hard.
Stop!
I'll stop if I can see you.
You'll erase them yourself.
The bar of the Park Hyatt.
Rue de la Paix.
When?
20 minutes.
Here.
Do as you please.
"Mom".
It's your mom.
She was good today.
Sure about erasing it all?
Yes, I am.
Even this?
"I want you.
Day and night."
Erase.
And this one?
"I love you. I'm crazy about you and your pussy.
You get me hard like a teen."
Erase it all.
Your turn now.
"You're the sweetest, gentlest man.
And the worst man."
"Fill me until we tire.
Make me yours. Make me your bitch."
Stop playing games.
Me again:
"I want you.
I plow into you, make you cum.
I wanna hurt you.
You're a bitch, I'm so in love with you."
Stop.
I love you.
Look how horny you get me.
I know you're wet.
I want you.
Right away. Let's get a room.
I met someone else.
You're lying.
No, it's the truth.
You'll have a baby with him?
Why didn't you keep ours?
Let's not go there.
My father?
- He made you abort? - He helped.
You listen to him. You obeyed.
- You screw my dad? - Fuck you!
He get you your job?
Stop!
I want a child with you.
It's over, Alexandre. It's over.
It's over!
It's over.
I love you.
Erase my messages.
I love you.
You were so fucking lousy. I'm astounded.
They said "jump" and you jumped.
Stop it.
Don't be mean, not now.
You got carried away. You missed the salient talking points.
I know.
You should have attacked her class condescendence.
You were positioned to throw in her face
that her compassion for the poor is mere disdain.
Justifying their deeds keeps them submissive!
Are we done? Is the masterclass over?
Post a clarification on Twitter.
Come on, fuck Twitter!
Come on... not with me.
Is this why you called? To rub it in?
I'm buying groceries. Alexandre's coming for dinner.
Will that guy be there?
I live with "that guy", as you call him.
Alex says he hasn't spoken to you since he got in.
You're sermonizing me now.
You, the wayward spouse...
Jean, why did you call?
You know how important tomorrow is for me.
My speech needs a reread.
I miss your opinion, your criticism...
I miss you.
Come back. The joke's lasted long enough.
Take care of your son.
I work.
Jean, talk tomorrow.
Sorry, I'm late.
I hope I didn't forget anything.
All his interviews from the past five years.
Now I have work to do!
I'll let you work.
You came all this way. Have a seat?
Are you sure?
With pleasure.
What will you have?
Same as you.
Please!
One more.
Relax, no one's going to steal your bag.
So...
to the show,
to the minister and to your medal.
And to you too, Quitterie.
- I hate my first name. - You're wrong.
It's very elegant.
Quitterie.
Old-fashioned elegance.
You know it comes from Latin.
It means "tranquil". Are you tranquil?
Quitterie was the daughter of a Galician Prince.
Her father arranged a marriage. She ran away.
Unfortunately, her father's servants caught her
and beheaded her.
On May 22, 477.
I love...
dramatic destinies like that.
How do you know all this?
I read up.
I always forget how handsome you are.
Come in.
Supposed to protect the house.
Ever hear of alarms?
Come in.
I've missed you!
Can I get a tour?
Yes. It'll be a quick one.
Here's the guestroom.
It's Mila's now, since she moved in with her dad.
Here is our room.
The bathroom is occupied. Coming?
Just a sec!
You took the smaller room?
Here we are, back in the living room.
It's nice.
Pleasant.
Will you make an effort?
I'm happy to have a step family.
Good evening.
Hello.
Adam. Pleased to meet you.
The pleasure's mine.
Nice of you to come. You must have lots to do.
Like seeing Mom. And Dad, yet to be seen.
I'll get a glimpse of him tomorrow night.
That's all I'll see of him.
Okay, I'll get us drinks.
- Let me. - Stay here.
What?
Alex, please...
He makes me happy.
That's why I wanted you to meet him.
You're pretty too.
Can we meet before you go, just us?
Civil and environmental engineering.
It's technical yet the approach is ethical.
Keep us on the ball.
Wow.
Sorry.
Good thing you didn't wait. Just a sec.
No, Mila, come. Meet my son.
Hello.
Come!
I'm Alexandre.
Mila.
- You eat? - I'm starving.
I'll warm it up.
No, don't bother, Claire.
It's Mom. She doesn't want to hear it.
I said I was skipping the wedding.
Men and women separated even at dinner...
It's too religious.
I can't stand it.
I'd love to have worn your dress.
Take it whenever you want.
Mila may go to the States after high school.
To study film in New York.
They have great schools.
I've heard.
Alex is a film buff and a great pianist.
Mom.
- Wine, sir? - Drop the "sir".
Want some?
How many years of Conservatory?
Dinner was delicious.
Don't try shifting.
And don't try...
Just play something.
Why do you do this?
Because I like hearing you.
I'm proud of you...
Because the piano just gathers dust.
Our neighbors hate us.
Let's give them a reason.
Congrats.
Gorgeous.
My piece now. Play my piece.
Your piece.
I love this.
There.
- I have to go. - Where?
I told Remi I'd stop by. A little high-school reunion.
Why not take Mila?
Get to know each other.
Talk about New York.
Mila, you up for it?
Alexandre will see you home.
I don't want to be a drag.
Not at all.
I'll hurry.
Where are you going?
- St-Mandé. - You won't be back late?
Let them live.
Good night.
Have fun.
- Bye, Adam. - See you soon.
- I love you. - Me too.
I gave up women a while ago.
- Yeah, right. - I swear.
I'm happy to have lunch with those who accept my invitations.
I pay the tab, dreaming of sex with them.
They see me as an old man elegant enough not to be oversexed.
Truth is, I'm incapable of...
No!
Not at all.
So there.
Such is my state in bed with you.
Stop. We have plenty of time.
Compassion is worse than impotence.
If you were impotent, would I react like this?
When my wife left me, I moved in here.
For a few weeks.
I hated being home alone.
I eventually went back.
But I'd gotten used to the hotel.
I realized that
I like the anonymity.
Impersonal lobbies where time stands still.
You don't feel time passing.
I didn't work enough.
Whose fault is that?
So pretty.
Marvelous.
You excite me.
I'm hard, see?
I'm hard.
Now you get me hard!
I thought you'd died.
That was Félix Faure, darling.
Time to get ready.
See you at the office?
The intern isn't here?
She quit this morning.
Why?
Something about family problems. She wasn't very coherent.
- No other reasons? - No.
Must've found an Instagram job, if you ask me.
Hello, ma'am. Police.
Hello, sir.
What floor is Mr. Farel?
Mr. Farel? Fourth floor.
Fourth.
Marianne!
Hello.
Judiciary Police. Are you Alexandre Farel?
- Are you? - Yes.
- We have a search warrant. - A search warrant?
What are you doing?
Alone here?
A warrant for what? Where you going?
A woman filed a complaint against you.
- For rape. - Rape?
I don't know what you're talking about. This is a mistake.
Is your room that way?
My dad lives here. Jean Farel, the journalist.
I live in California. You're mistaken.
It happened in France.
My dad's office. I said I live in California.
- Your room's here? - It's a mistake!
Show us your room.
Can you double-check? There must be a mistake.
- This is ridiculous! - We have orders.
In here?
Yes.
What's this?
I go back to the States tomorrow.
Not anymore, kid. Cancel the ticket or you'll lose it.
You call me "kid"?
- I'll take this. - I need my computer to work!
I didn't back it up. I need it for school!
Whose is this?
My girlfriend.
- Girlfriend? Who? - I don't have to answer.
What's her name?
I don't have to answer!
Listen good, sir. From now on, you're in custody.
We can keep you 48 hours.
We'll read you your rights, including a doctor and a lawyer.
If you have no lawyer, the court will appoint one.
- Is everything clear? - Very.
Good. I'll take the phone. You can change.
We'll take you to the precinct.
We called the number you gave us.
Speak to my father?
We got his voicemail and left a message.
Sorry.
Of course.
Here. Perfect.
Keep it relaxed.
Go see my colleague.
You can see your client.
Thanks.
Hello.
Lawyer Appointment underway
Arthur Celerier, your court-appointed lawyer.
I can't stay here.
I did nothing. Get me out.
Calm down. I understand.
Can I call you Alexandre?
Who cares? Get me out!
I'll do my best. It will go well.
Look at me.
It'll be fine.
Tell me briefly about yourself.
So...
I'm a student at Stanford.
And I can't miss classes.
One thing at a time. Your age?
Twenty-two.
Do you know the charges?
Yes.
They say I raped a girl.
So did you rape her?
No, of course I didn't.
Let me explain how this works.
A girl files a complaint.
She's questioned, then gets sent to Forensics for tests.
They check if there was penetration.
They look for sperm, DNA...
If there's reasonable proof, the suspect is taken in.
You're not here by chance.
The plaintiff must be credible. So tell me.
Last night, I went to a party with...
my mother's boyfriend's daughter.
She's 17. Our parents insisted we go together.
The party was pretty cool.
At one point she wanted fresh air.
Outside...
we smoked hash in a shack. She was afraid of cops.
We kissed, touched each other...
She gave me a blowjob, that's it.
That's all.
You didn't sleep with her?
No.
This is a nightmare.
Hold up, you may be here for 48 hours.
I have to get out. My father can post bail.
There is no bail to post. This isn't the States.
I'll be with you during questioning.
Okay?
They'll start with general questions, to put you at ease,
then zero in on the facts.
They'll try to trap you on discrepancies with earlier statements.
No police record?
No.
We'll go about it gently.
You don't know it,
but my dad is Jean Farel.
Word mustn't get out.
- The TV host? - Yes.
And my mother is...
an essayist, Claire Farel.
If it leaks, it'll harm my parents.
Think about yourself.
You're being judged, not them. Shall I call them?
I need to see them.
No visits are allowed during custody.
I'm sorry.
I don't know what the girl said. You stay calm, coherent.
Always stick to the same version.
All right?
Answer what they ask. Say no more.
Be precise and concise.
I can do that.
I got here late. I called you immediately.
Don't worry. Thank you.
Are you eating here?
No, I'm not hungry, thanks.
Mr. Lancel, please.
Yes.
Jean Farel.
Yes, Counselor.
I couldn't pull strings. Impossible to see him.
As soon as you can.
Excellent.
See you then. Your office, yes.
Thanks.
Mr. President,
I appreciate the honor of allowing me to speak after you.
I won't abuse this honor.
I'll keep it brief.
Jean?
Tell me it's not true.
It's impossible.
It's just impossible.
I bet they have no proof.
She hit on him,
then probably regretted it.
Especially if she's a religious Jew.
He can't have done this.
He has enough going for him to seduce a girl.
No need for violence.
Excuse me...
but our son, with that girl...
She must be crazy.
All of this seems a bit opportunistic.
QUITTERIE I miss you.
Sorry I left so quickly. Family problems.
I desire you.
It'll all work out.
It will be over soon.
Very soon.
Trust me.
I'll ask Lancel to settle.
They're not wealthy.
It shouldn't be hard to make them see reason.
You can't do that.
I hope he says nothing stupid under threat.
What if he really raped her?
Realize what you're saying?
Imagine it's true, that... he forced her.
If he really did that,
and admits to it,
it's prison.
Prison.
He'll be destroyed.
He's innocent. I'm absolutely positive. Don't worry.
Lancel is on it.
Do what you can to get him released.
I graduated high school at 16.
I was accepted to Polytechnique "EA".
Meaning?
Early admission.
Then I went to Stanford.
A young woman, Mila Wizman,
accuses you of raping her last night, October 11th.
In a dumpster shack near St-Mandé. What do you say?
It's not true.
Did you two have a sexual relation?
No, I didn't sleep with her.
Your sexual orientation?
Heterosexual.
Your sexual practices?
What do you mean?
With your girlfriends.
I don't know.
We can't know for you.
Everything.
Anal penetration?
It's best to answer.
Best to answer.
I've tried it, but if you must know, anal isn't my thing.
No fellatio? Cunnilingus? Vaginal penetration?
- What is this? - You're accused of rape, kid!
Your sex life is open game.
Don't call me "kid."
I asked you a question. Can you answer it?
- Sometimes. - Sometimes what?
Sometimes I eat pussy and get blown.
Calm down!
I'm calm. Your questions are indiscreet.
Are you often brutal?
No.
Do you masturbate?
Like you, like everyone.
I don't understand.
Would "twice a day" make him a perv?
Is that it?
Okay, let's say once a day.
Do you watch pornography?
No.
Your hard disk will speak.
Okay, sometimes I watch classical porn.
I mean you won't find weird stuff, like man and dog.
I didn't rape anyone.
Her medical exam reveals penetration did occur.
It wasn't me.
No sexual relation with her?
No, she gave me a blowjob.
Of her own volition.
I caressed her, that's all.
Caressed, meaning?
A finger inside. Okay?
She affirms you raped her.
It's not true.
Did she say she wanted fresh air,
she wanted to get high?
Why would she lie?
I don't know, I'm not in her head.
Revenge, maybe. I said it was for a challenge.
We had to bring back a girl's underwear.
I took her underwear.
She started crying.
I admit it was stupid. I just left her there.
And I went back.
Would I have gone back if I'd raped her?
It's my mom's boyfriend's daughter. I'm not dumb!
I humiliated her. I regret it.
That's all I did wrong.
She's out for revenge. It seems obvious.
Nothing else to say?
Yes.
I didn't do anything. I'm innocent.
Can I please go home?
No, you're in custody. 24 hours, extendable to 48.
We're waiting for the DNA results.
How the fuck did it get out?
They waste no time!
Listen... the AFP:
"In custody for suspected rape:
son of Jean Farel, soon to receive the Legion of Honor."
- Can you imagine? - I got stuff too.
"For foreigners, you mouth off. For your son, you shut up."
"All sexual assailants must be heavily sentenced."
"I hope your memory won't fail you, scumbag."
Stop reading.
"Your indignation is variable:
for Arabs, it's serious. For your son, it's nothing.
Where did the feminist go?"
This is a nightmare.
Come into my office?
This reeks of a set-up.
Someone's out to harm us.
Wait, wait.
The leak can come from anywhere.
The plaintiff, the detectives,
even the prosecutor!
I think it's in the plaintiff's interest to leak this.
Can we discuss my son?
That's why we're here.
Did he have a girlfriend?
Not that we know of.
History of violence? Any particular problems?
No.
Does he use drugs?
No.
What does he risk?
Problem is, once there's penetration, there's rape.
There's a very wide range of sentences.
It can go from a suspended sentence to 15 years in prison.
But that's only extreme cases with aggravating circumstances.
There are very few rape cases that end up in court.
Not to be too optimistic, but it's low risk.
The problem that will be raised is consent.
Rape cases immediately become social issues.
I hope I'm not shocking you, Claire.
We'll have to analyze in extreme detail the plaintiff's life.
Did she drink? Did she dance?
Did she have dinner with him?
In the end, they'll probably think she asked for it.
This can easily get downgraded to sexual assault
and tried in a lower court.
With far less serious risks.
- I'll have to see him. - When?
He sees the magistrate judge tomorrow.
I can see him at the courthouse before.
Where will he spend the night?
Go on.
Open the door.
Her
A tissue?
Thanks.
I can't let you do this.
- I'll call your dad. - No, please.
Relax. Filing a complaint...
You want me to relax?
Listen, if you file a complaint...
Listen, my child.
Think of the consequences.
If ever you get married,
everyone will know.
Stop!
I need your help.
I want to file a complaint.
Let's call the rabbi.
Yes, hello.
I was raped.
I don't know what to do.
You know, for charges to stick...
Were you hit? Any bruises?
I want to file a complaint.
Not to mention legal fees.
Do as you please.
Your name?
Mila Wizman.
Date and place of birth?
June 3, 2001. Toulouse.
Nationality?
French.
Your father's name?
Adam Wizman.
Profession?
Literature professor.
Mother's maiden name?
Valérie Berdah.
Profession?
Dental prosthetist.
- Marital status? - She's single.
No boyfriend.
Email address, social networks?
I have a Facebook account. Same for...
Email address?
superstar20@hotmail.fr.
Mila...
can you tell me?
I was raped last night.
What time exactly?
At night.
Know the identity of your assailant?
My father's girlfriend's son.
- Alexandre Farel. - Can you spell it?
F-A-R-E-L.
Like the journalist. It's his son.
Can we have details?
He...
took me to a party.
He got me to smoke
and drink.
And...
he raped me in a dumpster shack.
Did you go willingly?
He said he had a knife.
Did he threaten you with it?
I was afraid.
What next?
He...
grabbed me by the hair.
- He said... - What did he say?
What did he say?
He said...
I'm embarrassed to repeat it.
Sorry, I need your statement.
Want me to step out?
He said:
"Suck me, you bitch."
I didn't want to.
I just wanted to go home.
And I thought that if I did it,
he'd let me leave.
I was scared.
Then?
And um...
Mom, I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
He said:
"I can tell you're wet.
I'm gonna make you cum."
He penetrated me, saying he was going to...
fuck me, and that he was gonna hurt me too.
That I'd like it.
Hello, Adam?
I'm at the hospital.
It's Mila.
Mila was raped.
Wait, listen to me.
She was raped by Claire's son. We're filing a complaint.
At the hospital.
What hospital? Which one?
I'm on my way.
Adam?
You're scaring me. What's wrong?
Your son raped my daughter.
What?
Last night. Alexandre raped Mila.
No.
Who told you that?
Valérie?
Valérie told you this?
Adam, look at me.
This is impossible!
Impossible, you hear?
Look at me!
My daughter is filing a complaint.
He raped her in a dumpster shack.
This is impossible. It makes no sense.
Your ex files charges without telling you?
The investigation is underway.
Adam, this isn't true.
I swear it isn't!
He could never have done this. I know my son!
Never, you hear me?
Adam, it's not true!
Calling her a liar?
Know how brave she was to tell her mother?
How hard it is to file a complaint?
She must retract it. It's a misunderstanding.
Maybe there was a fight or mixed signals.
We must speak to the children first, okay?
His life will be ruined!
Whose life, Claire? Whose life will be ruined?
Whose?
Adam, please!
Please, Adam!
Put your heel in the stirrup.
The other one too.
Now lean back.
Lie all the way down. Let yourself go.
I'll lift up your gown like this,
so you see as little as possible.
There. Do you feel all right?
I'll start the gynecological exam.
Do you feel pain or discomfort anywhere?
No.
Now we'll take samples.
No signs of contusions.
There, we're done now.
You can get dressed now.
And take these pills with a glass of water
and a snack.
Here you have a morning-after pill,
one to prevent you from getting STDs
and from getting HIV.
Adam!
- Where is she? - With psychologists. It's unending.
Is she all right?
- Is she all right? - Yeah, tell me.
Is she all right?
She may never get over this.
It's your fault.
It's all your fault.
Because of your whore.
Stop.
It's your fault, you hear?
- It's because of you. - Relax.
- If you hadn't left! - Relax!
If you hadn't walked out and gotten Mila to come along!
The blame's all on you.
You took her into your world.
You turned her into a girl who gets raped.
My daughter...
Stop.
Stop, stop...
Who'll want her now?
I'm sorry, I...
I'm tired.
I can't go on talking.
I just want to know how you feel.
I don't know.
You're a rape victim, Mila.
You're in a state of shock.
Post-traumatic shock.
You'll feel strange sensations.
You may have panic attacks.
You may also forget elements of what happened.
You may feel astray.
Or you may feel nothing.
You may be in a state others find normal.
As if nothing happened.
There's no rule.
I want to go home.
I just want some sleep.
I'm sure you need it.
Can I go home?
Yes.
But we should meet again.
How could they suggest that? How dare they?
Noah, stay focused.
No way will we accept any settlement!
Yes, Counselor.
Of course.
Thank you. Talk tomorrow.
See you tomorrow.
See you.
Girls...
- I'm off. - Bye, Daddy.
Sweetheart.
Finish your homework.
See you tomorrow.
Don't want to stay for dinner?
No, I'm off.
Mila, can you help set the table?
Dad.
Not upset I'm staying here?
Of course not.
I love you, honey.
Stay here tonight if you want.
To the courthouse.
Put this on, it's cold.
Farel, Alexandre. Here for rape.
The file.
His belongings.
Take this too.
He'll probably indict you.
Elements don't play in your favor.
For example, why your sperm was on her clothes.
I came after she blew me off, of her own free will!
No, not this time.
Don't be impulsive or arrogant.
Think you can?
Hello.
I'm Mr. Lancel.
Alexandre's father asked me to take over.
His instructions are clear.
Given the media storm that's brewing,
it's essential you don't speak publicly.
Especially on social media.
Tell my father this is my case.
I already have a lawyer.
He's been here from the start. I trust him.
Thank you.
I understand perfectly.
- Can we have a word? - Sure.
The plaintiff's family has refused to settle.
- You contacted them? - At Jean Farel's behest.
I want you to know if ever you need me,
my door is always open.
Thank you.
Are you sure of your choice?
You're not obligated to keep me.
I'm keeping my lawyer.
Mr. Farel, I am indicting you for rape.
You can now access your file, via your lawyer.
The discovery process should last 18 months.
Given your guarantees,
I will not be asking the custody judge
to keep you in pre-trial detention.
In other words, you're free.
However, you remain on probation.
You must respect the following obligations.
You must respond to all my summons.
You are also obligated
to submit to all investigative measures, especially
psychological and psychiatric exams.
You are not allowed to leave the country.
And above all,
you are forbidden to approach the plaintiff,
or contact her in any manner whatsoever.
Should you disobey this order,
you could end up in prison.
Am I clear?
Yes.
30 MONTHS LATER
I wish you'd come with me.
I won't support Alexandre.
You know how I feel.
See you tonight.
Hello.
Bag, telephone, keys...
Mrs. Farel!
- You're late. - I did my best.
Thank you, sir.
Come on, let's go.
Here we go.
You okay?
Everything will be fine. Stay natural and concise.
Remember?
It's obscene, all these people.
Come on.
All rise!
Court is in session. You may be seated.
Tell the court your name, date of birth,
your address and profession.
My name is Alexandre Farel.
January 4, 1996.
I'm an engineer. I live in Paris, 93 Boulevard Exelmans.
According to article 327 of the penal code,
I will now read the charges brought against you,
as they are stated in the arraignment order,
as well as all incriminating and exculpatory elements.
You are charged with using violence and threats
to commit acts of sexual penetration on Mila Wizman:
penis-to-mouth penetration,
finger-to-vagina and penis-to-vagina.
The rape allegedly occurred in St-Mandé
on October 10, 2018.
This crime is punishable by a 15-year maximum sentence.
Three months prior to this hearing, on January 7, 2021,
Alexandre Farel was arrested
after accosting Mila Wizman on the street,
thus violating the terms of his probation,
which forbade him from contacting the plaintiff.
He was held on a detention order by the custody judge.
You have thus been held
since January 7, 2021. That is, for 3 months.
During this trial,
you are free to express yourself.
You may also remain silent, if you wish.
Did you understand my summary?
Yes.
Do you admit to the charges?
No. It was consensual.
It is impossible to ascertain whether the relation was consensual.
Consensual sex can be violent and leave marks.
Non-consensual sex can leave no marks.
Toxicology shows the victim drank, smoked cannabis.
The defendant too.
He took cocaine as well.
How did Mr. Farel behave in custody?
Both detached and aggressive.
I don't think he took us seriously. It showed in his answers.
At first he denied having had penetrative sex.
When did his story shift?
Once told his DNA was found on the plaintiff's body.
Then his attitude changed.
Ms. Vellay,
you're used to rape cases.
Unfortunately, it happens often.
Was Ms. Wizman's attitude that of a rape victim?
Yes. She was extremely shocked
and very shaken.
For you, was she lying or sincere?
There was no reason to doubt her sincerity.
What about Alexandre Farel's lie?
A man can lie because he's afraid.
Or ashamed.
Because the reality of his deeds is unbearable.
Thank you.
Alexandre Farel is very intelligent,
polite, courteous.
Cooperative throughout the investigation.
He has no history of grave psychological disorders.
No signs of intrapsychic dissociation.
No signs of delusional thinking,
nor any manifestations of hallucinations
that might hint at a psychotic malady.
He was not, at the time of the event,
prone to any psychological disorders
that would have abolished or weakened his discernment
or his self-control.
The best solution is developer at Google.
You make like...
At Airbnb they pay 180,000 a year!
Why the fuck go to Google for 130?
And forget Uber. They offered me 1 10,000.
What am I, a charity case?
All you care about is money.
You went to school to get rich.
No, to change the world!
Because the world is dirty, because there's war...
Because polar bears are dying.
Because cops are racists!
Mila Wizman had a happy childhood.
But she is unwell since her parents' divorce.
She says she liked her father's new companion,
even if she blames her for wrecking their family.
She's less close to her Orthodox Jewish mother,
Mila is racked with extreme guilt.
Her mother says if she'd stayed home, this wouldn't have happened.
As for her reaction to the events:
she describes well the manipulation of which she was victim,
as well as her defense strategy.
A seeming submissiveness
used to prevent her assailant from becoming violent.
Mila has a hard time sleeping.
She has nightmares during which
she relives the rape.
We also note a body dysmorphia.
She feels soiled.
She washes obsessively.
She makes herself vomit after eating.
She's gained weight.
She also has difficulty with social interactions.
She trusts no one.
She's afraid of men.
The post-traumatic shock is considerable.
It has impacted her personality.
What do you expect from this trial?
Acknowledgment of the harm he did me.
How did you end up alone with Mr. Farel?
I went along with him to a party.
He was polite, sweet. I trusted him.
He offered me a drink.
I said no.
He kept insisting, saying it was a fancy champagne.
I took the glass because I didn't want to look like a dummy.
I drank it.
My head started spinning.
I wanted to vomit.
I said I needed fresh air.
He followed me because...
he claimed it was dangerous, a girl alone in the street.
You said you took no drugs.
The toxicological report proved the contrary.
I was afraid they'd say I smoked,
that I'd spaced out, that I wasn't my normal self.
I didn't want police problems.
Was that ever the case?
Never.
On the way, did Mr. Farel try to kiss you,
put his arms around you?
Yes. He put his hand on my shoulder.
Did you let him?
Not really.
But you willingly followed him into the shack.
Yes, but to smoke. That's all.
I was dizzy from the alcohol.
I never drink.
So you smoked there.
And then he asked you to perform fellatio on him.
He grabbed my neck and pressed my head against his penis.
Did you express lack of consent by words or gestures?
I didn't want him to.
I told him that... I had a boyfriend.
But I couldn't do a thing.
He put his...
his penis in my mouth.
Did he hurt you?
He held my hair like a dog leash.
He pulled.
And you let him?
I was terrified.
Then he started touching my breasts.
Down below too.
I could tell...
he wanted more. He kept insisting.
Did you say "no" then?
I couldn't speak.
It was like there were two of me.
I saw my body but...
but I wasn't there.
I was scared.
He put his body on me to stop me from leaving.
He said to take off my jeans.
He orders and you obey.
I was scared. When we were in the street,
he said he carried a knife on him since the terrorist attacks.
Did you see the knife?
In your initial statement, you said he threatened you with it.
Then you said there never was a knife.
I'm just asking questions, miss. Trying to understand.
What should I have done? A guy says he has a knife...
He took off my underwear and...
He took off my underwear
and put his fingers inside.
In and out, it really hurt.
He said to let him do it.
That I liked it.
And...
that he'd stop once I came.
And he turned me around
and penetrated me with his penis.
Did he ejaculate?
On my lower back, yes.
He put his clothes back on.
I got dressed too.
He said he was going back to the party, I said that...
I should go on home.
And...
he kept my underwear.
He said that...
this was all a challenge.
I started crying.
I think
he apologized.
Miss, you said some people thought
that your words had no merit.
But your words do have merit.
You can trust me. Justice believes you.
Are you trying to forget? Is that why you're at times imprecise?
You say he uttered these words:
"Suck me, you bitch."
Is that true?
You must express yourself to leave this courtroom
different from when you came in.
I'm sorry.
I'm ashamed.
It is not you who should be ashamed.
Are you sure that he understood
that you were not consenting?
Yes.
But my client maintains
you showed no signs of resistance.
He was violent.
So you didn't shout for help?
He put his mouth on my face.
He says he glided his finger into your mouth.
You describe a violent gesture.
He describes an erotic one.
It was obvious I didn't want it.
I'm not questioning your suffering.
My client didn't perceive the events the same way.
Would you admit that when in an inebriated state,
we can behave out of the ordinary?
I don't know. I don't usually drink.
Why accept to follow Mr. Farel into the street
then into the shack?
Because I didn't feel well. I trusted him.
He put his arm around you in the street.
You went because you felt flattered?
I wasn't well. I'm not used to drinking.
Once in the shack,
did you ever think he might legitimately think
you were interested in him?
No...
Once there, did you let him kiss you?
No, he left me no choice.
You could have left. There was no lock.
I didn't know that, and I was scared. Of the knife.
This knife...
You never saw it.
No.
There wasn't one.
There was no knife.
He said he had one. I believed him.
Did you find him handsome?
I'm asking if you found him attractive.
What difference does it make?
Did you have a boyfriend?
Yes.
You told the police you were a virgin.
Gynecological exams then showed you'd had relations.
I lied because I was ashamed.
Ashamed of what?
That my mother would find out.
She didn't know.
She's strict. I told you.
For her, virginity matters.
Yes, she's very religious.
You had already had sexual relations before him?
Yes.
With whom?
Only one man.
Did it last long?
A few weeks.
How old was he?
32.
And you?
17.
Was he single?
No.
Married? Children?
Yes. Three.
Did you know?
Yes.
So, before your encounter with Mr. Farel,
you were with a man 15 years your senior
and you told the police you were a virgin.
I lied because I was ashamed.
My mother had become very religious.
Ms. Wizman, why did you break it off? For what reason?
It was him. He wouldn't leave his wife.
Did you threaten to send his wife all your text messages?
Yes... but I wasn't well.
Do you have an axe to grind with men?
No.
Were you ever the victim of sexual assault
before meeting Mr. Farel?
No.
No?
On Twitter, just after the Weinstein affair,
when #MeToo began,
you wrote the following tweet:
"I was 13, at summer camp, sick.
My counselor came into my room
to take my temperature. He put his hand in my underwear.
#MeToo."
Remember that tweet?
You forget he assaulted you or that you tweeted this?
That I tweeted that.
But you were assaulted?
Yes.
What year was this summer camp?
I don't remember.
But it's important because a counselor assaulted you.
I was 13.
Your one class trip was at the age 10.
It's true.
Not a class trip, at a friend's house.
It was her father.
No more questions.
Thank you, Ms. Wizman.
How about some action, guys?
Did I hear the word action?
Hit on a girl here
and bring back her underwear before 2 a.m.
Any girl?
Your choice, dude.
And the loser posts his nude pic on Insta.
I take the redhead.
You never fucked her? She did the whole school!
Her?
Here.
No thanks.
You don't dance, don't drink.
If there's one champagne to try, this is it.
I have a little headache.
To you.
Want to get some fresh air?
Leaving?
We'll be back.
Ms. Wizman says
you put your penis in her mouth.
We kissed and I asked her to perform fellatio.
I took out my penis and she put it in her mouth.
She showed no signs of unwillingness?
No, but I quickly realized it wasn't her thing.
I said to stop and I masturbated.
What do you mean, "it wasn't her thing"?
She wasn't comfortable.
Her teeth hurt. I figured she was inexperienced.
You didn't think she didn't want to?
That you scared her?
If she didn't want to, she'd have said no.
She says that you ordered her to do it.
That you said to her:
"Suck me, you bitch."
In the heat of the action, I may have.
People talk like that, right?
What happened next?
We lay down on the ground.
I snorted coke on her belly.
She let me.
Then I got on top of her. I said to take off her jeans
because the buttons hurt me.
She took them off.
She still didn't speak?
No, she just did it.
And then?
Then...
I took off her underwear, put it in my pocket.
I put my fingers in her vagina to make her cum.
I lowered my jeans and penetrated her.
But I didn't have a condom, so I pulled out
and came on her.
Then you realized she was terrified.
No.
Or else I'd have stopped.
She let me go about it and I thought she enjoyed it.
Maybe she let you go about it because she was tetanized.
No.
What makes you say that?
I'm embarrassed to say it.
Don't be.
Her vagina was wet.
She came.
Do you often wrap things up so quickly with girls?
This is 2021, Your Honor.
People my age who meet and hit it off often sleep together.
Why is she pressing charges?
Why is she sticking to her version?
To get revenge over the challenge.
I'm ashamed to have accepted that dumb bet.
To have humiliated her by saying it was a challenge.
I was pathetic, a bastard, a prick, whatever you want,
but not a rapist.
Counselor, any questions?
If the sex was consensual, why did you deny it?
For several hours, you denied having had a sexual relation.
You waited until your DNA spoke.
I told you.
I got scared.
Scared because you raped her?
No.
We found your DNA on her body.
I quickly admitted to having made love.
I'm surprised how witnesses describe you
as caring and sensitive.
Why then take Ms. Wizman to that sordid dumpster shack?
It was a storage shack.
If I may.
We went there to smoke. She didn't want to smoke outside.
Mr. Farel, what book were you reading at the time?
I don't know. I read a lot.
By your bedside, the police found a Georges Bataille novel.
It's called My Mother.
Allow me to read the back cover.
"Initiated into debauchery,
a teen discovers a life of perdition blending shame,
sexual pleasure
and disgust."
What's the problem?
The problem is that it's obscene.
Obscenity doesn't exist in literature.
Baudelaire was considered obscene, now we study him.
You too want to blacklist him? The latest fad.
Baudelaire speaks of love.
As for you, Mr. Farel,
you underline in your book some very unusual sentences.
Allow me to read one. Page 62.
"When he saw me naked, he raped me.
But I bloodied his face. I wanted to rip out his eyes.
I couldn't..."
I hope you or no one here has read Sade or Bataille.
You may end up in court.
Counselor...
You may speak later.
Let's continue down this literary path.
You won a short-story contest a few years ago.
Can you tell us what it was about?
It's a love story.
It's about a young male intern and a political consultant.
The man forces her to perform fellatio.
Then he rapes her twice.
The idea came from the woman I was seeing then.
She should come give us her version.
It was a fantasy between consenting adults.
Maybe it was a fantasy.
Then you acted it out.
Are you cold?
Come on.
Farel!
Hey, Louis!
- How you doing? - Leaving already?
No, just walking.
You good?
It's been ages!
Mila, Louis...
Former classmate.
Fucking Stanford, I hear?
And you, HEC?
- Yeah but... - But what?
Let's get a drink.
Wait, I'll be back in 10 minutes.
- For sure? - Yeah.
Great seeing you.
Same here.
I haven't seen him in years!
You okay?
Feeling better? The air did me good too.
Want to sit down?
I am a woman, and I am also a mother.
Who am I supposed to speak as, today?
Whom will you listen to?
Who will be more credible?
The woman who always fought for women's rights?
Who, like all women, often found herself in unpleasant situations,
even threatening ones,
where we're forced to try to dodge,
or to confront,
without upsetting the man who offended us,
or disparaged us?
Not knowing whether he'll seek revenge and how.
This woman who learned to say "no".
Is this the woman
who must speak to you today?
That woman no longer exists.
I now see the disconnect between discourse that's militant,
humanist,
and the reality of existence.
The impossible application of the most noble ideas
when personal interests usurp all clear-sightedness.
So it is only the mother
who can still speak to you today.
The mother
of Alexandre Farel.
My son.
That's who this is about, my son.
My only son.
A son who was never violent or brutal.
An intelligent son,
gentle, loving.
An excellent son.
Who always made me happy.
Who has my full confidence.
Accused today by Mila.
Whom I always appreciated.
I understand her suffering.
I recognize it.
Like I said, I am a mother, and she too was like my daughter.
You and I are in the same position.
That of King Solomon.
We must choose between two lives,
both young,
and already destroyed.
Should one be sacrificed at the expense of the other?
Is that our only solution?
It seems a terrible waste.
Mila preferred to stay with the lawyer and the psychologist.
I heard her testimony.
My son's lawyer was very harsh. I'm sorry.
That's his job. It's not your fault.
Mila and her lawyer asked us to wait outside
so she could speak more freely.
And I thought it would be really tough.
Want to eat something?
Maybe some coffee.
I've spent 2 years preparing for this.
The violence of the trial.
Where is Valérie?
Shabbat's in a few hours.
And Jean?
His show.
What are you reading?
I've read it before. Take it.
Thanks.
I miss you.
I suffered from our breakup too.
If you want to know whether I met someone,
whether I'm happy...
No, I have not and I am not.
We had no choice.
They're starting.
Go in alone. Best we're not seen together.
Yes.
I drive dozens of people a day. I forget...
Yeah, she got into my vehicle.
Crying her eyes out.
Do you know if she gave you a review after she left?
We can't know that.
She gave you 5 stars.
Thanks a lot.
She claims she'd just been raped,
but finds the energy and clear-sightedness
to review her driver.
I have nothing to add.
Several times he forced me to touch his penis.
I didn't want to.
He'd grab my hand, press it against his penis.
He used my hand to masturbate, like a puppet.
And you don't consider that a form of violence?
I don't know... It happens.
We've all known guys who try, who insist,
and who sometimes go all the way.
Once in the back of his car,
he said he was all horned up and tried taking off my jeans.
I pushed him away and he didn't insist.
And another time,
he asked if he could try anal.
I said no.
But he suggested that because he knew I wanted to stay a virgin.
He wasn't being violent.
When I said no, he said okay.
He wanted fellatio, because it wasn't nice leaving him like that.
So you did it.
Yeah.
Did you want to?
No, I mean, not particularly.
You find that normal.
I don't know. What's normal, what's not normal?
I regret having made that challenge.
My behavior was harmful and humiliating.
Like saying girls found good jobs only thanks to quotas.
What happened deeply affected me.
I don't know if Alexandre did it,
and even if I want to doubt the girl because...
I can't believe my friend would do that...
I'll refrain from saying anything about her.
I understood, hearing all these women testify,
that they want to be believed and heard.
Scared?
Not at all.
Don't worry, I can defend myself.
Ever since the attacks, the Bataclan,
I never go out without a knife on me.
Wanna come in here?
It'll be warmer.
The night Alexandre went out with Mila Wizman,
he drank.
He drank, smoke, took drugs.
He wasn't his normal self, and had as an example...
a cheating father,
a womanizer, a seducer... I'm not proud of it...
He grew up thinking that sex was...
something carefree, without consequences.
No commitments.
My son...
- I know him better than anyone here besides his mother-
is not the perverted rapist some would like.
But I'll say it.
I'll say it.
When a girl follows a boy into a shack at night,
she knows what she's doing.
She knows.
Maybe she regretted afterwards out of shame.
In any case,
at the moment,
she did not clearly say the word
that would have stopped my son.
She didn't say...
"No."
So we're in a gray area.
He's already paid dearly for what happened.
He couldn't finish Stanford,
his career in the States is over with, probably forever.
He's been in prison for 3 months.
Three months!
Because he saw her in the street.
He wanted to ask her forgiveness!
He wanted to exchange a few words with her...
To explain himself, like...
like civilized human beings.
She started screaming. Screaming!
They crossed paths, he's in prison.
He shouldn't have gone near her.
Because she wouldn't listen.
So she started screaming, in broad daylight, a busy street,
as if he'd attack her, kill her, carve her up, whatever.
Ever since,
he's terrified.
Terrified.
Never leaves his cell.
He won't say so himself but...
He's destroyed. I doubt he'll get over it.
It would be unfair to punish...
to destroy...
to destroy a boy's life...
over a 20-minute thrill.
Jean Farel, you mentioned "gray area"?
Are you the victim of a conspiracy, as you once said?
No, please, leave Miss Wizman.
- Just look at her! - Don't start!
"A 20-minute thrill"...
And the gray area?
The gray area was invented by men to justify themselves.
Since #MeToo, I've stopped counting
the number of girls who tell of being harassed or raped.
But it's weird.
No man ever remembers having harassed or raped a girl.
Worse than the violence
is their contempt.
They tried to pay us off.
Fucking madness!
What do I do now? What do I do?
Nothing. Set the table.
She should have said no.
"No!" It's not hard.
"No."
The first word a kid learns to say.
I can't take it anymore.
Jean, calm down.
All their victimization.
A girl who follows me into a shack knows what she wants, right?
Don't try telling me only guys want to fuck.
I know women enough...
What if it were your daughter?
What if your daughter told you a guy had raped her?
What would you do?
Kill him.
You met Mr. Farel in 2017. He was your intern.
How did your relationship evolve?
I don't remember.
We got on really well. It was hard to hide.
Describe your encounters.
We'd make love at a hotel just outside of Paris.
Who paid?
Me, more often.
Did you love him?
Yes.
If you didn't feel like making love, did he insist?
Never.
He never forced me to do anything.
We got along very well.
Sexually, I mean.
He never forced you...
to masturbate him or anything?
He didn't need to force me.
Was he ever violent?
No.
Did he have any particular demands?
What do you mean by "particular"?
Forced oral sex?
He never forced me.
Were you in touch at the time of the event?
No. I'd left him a while ago,
but I'd just seen him, at my request.
I wanted him to erase messages we'd exchanged.
Very well.
Anything else to add?
Alexandre is a tender young man.
He is complex, for sure.
He likes power-plays.
He can be brutal.
But he was never violent with me.
Counselor?
What happened when
you told Alexandre Farel you were leaving him?
He was sad, angry, it's normal.
Did he hold you back?
Yes, of course.
How?
He said he was crazy for me, wanted to live with me.
And yet you filed
a complaint against him for harassment.
To scare him.
- Were you afraid of him? - Of course not.
Yet you went to a Paris police station
and filed a complaint.
To keep him at bay, and I withdrew it.
Ms. Vasseur, did anyone
pressure you
into testifying in Mr. Farel's favor?
Absolutely not.
I'll put it differently.
Did Alexandre's father
promise to further your political career if you testified in his son's favor?
Did he promise, for example,
to invite you onto his show?
Of course not.
No more questions.
Ms. Vasseur,
in Mr. Farel's cell phone, we found some conversations,
by email.
In one email he says he wants to, and I quote:
"To hurt you".
Normal words between two people into each other.
He also wrote...
"You're a bitch, but I'm in love with you."
It wasn't aggressive.
We liked dirty talk.
I'm glad you've said it.
The plaintiff attacked Mr. Farel
for saying to Ms. Wizman, in the shack, after kissing,
"Suck me, you bitch, I'm gonna hurt you."
These are expressions he's used to saying.
Proving that, for him, their encounter was normal.
Ms. Vasseur...
is it you who asked Mr. Farel
to write a story about an intern and a political consultant?
Yes, and I regret it.
Now I see it turning against him.
Nothing to add.
Thank you.
CLOSING ARGUMENTS
We are here in this courtroom
because Mila Wizman needs you to listen.
Having her suffering recognized and sanctioned
will help her rebuild herself.
During discovery, throughout the trial,
you had to tell, over and over,
the untellable.
Whereas all you wanted
was to forget.
With sexual aggression,
telling means reliving.
I rise but I do not break, Mila.
I rise
and I stay on my feet.
And I speak for you
and for all women: abused, forced, obligated,
submitted, denied, gagged,
for all women deemed guilty
of not being able, not knowing how, to say no.
Not speaking means consent?
No.
Not speaking means suffering.
Mila has suffered.
There was no gray area that night on October 10, 2018.
The only gray area was the dumpster shack.
After having made her drink - she who never drinks -
having made her smoke - she who never smokes -
he decided to take her into the cold night.
That's a red area.
An area Alexandre Farel lords over. His elite world.
The master.
With his own rules.
According to his game, to his "challenge".
His universe, his party, his friends.
And boosted by all this, by this upper hand,
the upper hand
of a dominator, male, wealthy,
a "son of",
intellectual, brilliant,
"the older boy"... boosted by all that,
he moved in on Mila, the poor Jewish girl,
who doesn't know the rules of a game only he could win.
His game, which consists,
as a challenge, for the fun of it,
of bringing back a girl's underwear in his pocket.
Like a trophy.
Is it illegal?
No.
And Mr. Farel certainly doesn't think he committed a crime.
Because he got pleasure.
He added:
"She came."
He said: "She came."
So is this
the result of five days in court?
No, Mr. Farel, she didn't cum!
No, she didn't want to be penetrated over and over.
No, she didn't want to be ejaculated on.
No, she didn't want to be forced
to give you oral sex.
No, Mr. Farel, you didn't know if Mila wanted it
because you don't care what she wants.
Crushed, destroyed,
erased, annihilated,
under your body and your game.
What do you care, if you're sure
not to have worried over a 20-minute thrill.
The voice that you smothered, Mr. Farel,
is what I am trying to render to Mila
and to all women, the whole lot of them,
who like her, and before her, screamed: "No!"
From inside their broken bodies.
I bring this voice to you.
Justice rendered in the name of mankind
and - dare I say? - in the name of womankind too.
Your Honor,
ladies and gentlemen of the jury,
I can't say if you'll sentence Mr. Farel or what the sentence would be.
One thing is sure.
Mila Wizman, in twenty minutes,
received a lifetime sentence.
The difficulty in this case
is not the material facts.
On the night of October 10, 2018,
there was undoubtedly a sexual relation
between Mr. Farel and Ms. Wizman.
The real difficulty
is in the defendant's personality
and the mystery of his acting out.
There's one Alexandre Farel, the hardworking student,
the vulnerable, insecure, sensitive boy.
But another one also exists.
This one can be scornful, violent,
possessive, jealous.
Why did this man, one day, commit a crime?
That night it was possible.
Easy.
So he did it.
He committed what we might call an "opportunistic rape".
I think Alexandre Farel is sincere.
His life has changed. He was doing well in school,
he was well liked.
And one day, the dam burst.
When you sentence him, you must think of his rehabilitation.
How will this man one day find his place in society?
But there is also the victim.
Ms. Wizman suffered a great deal during this trial.
It's painful to recall events that wounded her,
that still do.
But I'm sure she is stronger than she thinks.
I'm sure there is already ground for forgiveness.
The investigation has shown that Mr. Farel's sexual aggression
was restricted to the night of October 10, 2018.
I have no desire to turn your life upside down, Mr. Farel.
You know a rape did occur
and that there is now a before and an after.
I do not ask that he be kept in prison.
I am convinced he is not a danger to society.
He is guilty, but his guilt must be sanctioned
in light of his character.
I will not ask that he serve hard time.
Mr. Farel has no history of sexual aggression.
He has no police record.
The psychiatric experts have all stated
there is no risk of danger or recidivism.
This is why I request a 5-year suspended sentence.
The maximum suspended sentence.
But this is not a gift.
It will hang over your head for 5 years
like a sword of Damocles.
Counselor.
Your Honor,
ladies and gentlemen of the court,
ladies and gentlemen of the jury.
This case teaches us one thing.
One day, anyone can end up on the wrong side of the law.
Even when you're well born.
You are allowed to detest Mr. Farel.
He is, as they say, "entitled".
He has a feeling of superiority
perhaps inherent to his class.
So yes, he is disdainful
when he accepts a "challenge".
Yes, he is vulgar.
Crass even,
when he says to Mila Wizman: "Suck my dick, you bitch".
You're allowed not to like that.
You're allowed not to like him.
To find him unbearable.
But like him or not,
do not make of him a man guilty of rape.
The only question you should be asking,
is whether he penetrated Mila Wizman under duress,
knowing that she was non-consenting.
We'll never know what happened in that shack.
However,
we are sure of one thing when we reread the files.
There was no verbal threat.
Simply explicit language with erotic intentions.
At no point did she say "no" or"stop".
She never pushed him away.
She never manifested her refusal by shouting or crying.
The medical exams reveal no bruising.
There were no punches, no traces of violence.
Whatever Ms. Wizman says,
no one forced her to go to that party,
to drink, to go smoke with Mr. Farel in a shack.
Never did he threaten her with a knife.
Never did he threaten her at all.
Now today, yes,
Ms. Wizman analyzes everything in terms of duress.
Because as she said,
in her Orthodox Jewish community,
what happened in that shack is unusual.
Unlike Mr. Farel, who is a social animal,
used to these kinds of one-night stands.
They don't have the same history.
Not the same culture.
Not the same conception of sexuality, and yet
they have two large points in common:
the fear of being judged socially,
and the ruin of their young lives.
Now Ms. Wizman is studying cinema.
She is trying to rebuild herself.
Alexandre has already spent 3 months in prison.
Let's not forget this.
Every day he is beaten and humiliated by other inmates.
Every day he is insulted and lynched on social media.
And let me add, this media trial,
with its nasty, vengeful tweets,
has skewed my client's presumption of innocence.
This is irreparable.
No university will admit him.
Type his name into Google, the first word that pops up
is "rapist".
I am not trying to impugn Ms. Wizman's image,
to question her pain or to silence her.
Women's voices are finally being heard.
But this is not a reason to gag defendants' voices.
This is not a reason to turn defending people
charged with sexual assault
into something taboo.
We cannot make do with only one side's version.
There is not one truth here,
but two ways of perceiving the same event.
Mr. Farel has always maintained his innocence
and in good conscience, I ask for his acquittal.
What I request for him today is true justice.
The justice you will render.
My sole goal is to convince you of his innocence
vis-à-vis the law.
Not morality.
The main point concerns
the question of Ms. Wizman's consent.
If you read the legal precedents of the Criminal Courts of Appeal,
this is what you find:
"Acquittal for rape
is not predicated on the victim's consent."
If you acquit Mr. Farel,
that does not mean the victim was consenting.
So your mission is to put yourself in his shoes.
Because he's on trial.
He risks staying in prison.
You have no evidence that contradicts
the conviction he had at the moment.
None.
It's one person's word
against another's.
We don't have the truth.
But we must find a legal truth.
You were chosen randomly
to mete out justice
and here you are, in a battle.
We are implored to rally round the feminist flag.
To join their fight.
Indispensable.
But justice doesn't need warriors.
It needs judges
who are impartial.
What you have to judge today
are Mr. Farel's acts.
No more.
Your task is no less daunting.
It is your decision, and yours alone,
that will seal the fate of Mr. Farel.
If you sentence him
because you have the slightest doubt
about what happened that night,
you'd be breaking the law.
And you'd betray the oath you took as jurors.
So if there is doubt,
do not destroy definitively a young man's life
who has always maintained his innocence.
You'd be sentencing an innocent man.
This risk...
don't take it.
Mr. Farel, have you anything to add?
I'd like to address Mila.
I never intended to hurt you.
If I made you suffer, I beg your forgiveness.
Alexandre Farel has been found guilty but he is free to go.
He has a five-year suspended sentence.
A second offence would mean serving hard time.
THE ACCUSATION
Subtitles: Andrew Litvack
Subtitling: HIVENTY