BRINDISI, Italy — The Italian On Wednesday, the film director Paul Haggis appeared in court in southern Italy amid an ongoing police investigation into charges made by a woman that he had intercourse with her without her permission over the course of two days. The allegations were made by the lady.
Haggis, who is 69 years old, did not make any comments when he came at the courtroom in Brindisi, which is a port city in Puglia, the area that serves as the “heel” of southern Italy. Haggis was accompanied by an Italian lawyer named Michele Laforgia. There was no indication that his family members who were already in Italy at the time would come to see him there.
Prosecutors made the announcement on Sunday that the director, screenwriter, and producer who was born in Canada had been held by police in connection with an investigation into allegations of severe sexual abuse and aggravated bodily harm.
According to state television and other Italian media outlets, the suspected victim is a thirty-year-old English lady who was acquainted with Haggis before she travelled to the resort town of Ostuni to participate in an artists festival. State television also reported this information.
“Crash,” which Haggis co-wrote, directed, and produced, went on to win the Academy Award for Best Picture in 2006 and the Academy Award for Best Screenplay the same year. In addition, he was the writer of the script for the Academy Award–winning film “Million Dollar Baby.”
In the last several years, he has had legal issues that come from charges of sexual assault made by four women in the United States. These allegations were made against him.
After hearing the arguments presented by both the prosecution and the defence attorneys, a judge in Italy is likely to make a decision on Wednesday over whether or not Haggis should be freed from detention pending potential additional investigation.
The court may also decide to impose restrictions such as house arrest or incarceration on you.
Priya Chaudhry, Haggis’ attorney in the United States, said on Sunday to the Associated Press that despite the fact that she was unable to share the evidence due to Italian law, she was “confident that all allegations against Mr. Haggis would be dropped.” He is completely blameless in this matter, and he is ready to work fully with the authorities in order to bring the facts to light as soon as possible.