Court testimony by a 29-year-old woman who accused Oscar-winning director and screenwriter Paul Haggis of sexually assaulting her in Italy in June had “many inconsistencies and contradictions,” according to a Tuesday ruling by judges in the south. The Italian city of Lecce.
The Lecce District Court on Tuesday announced the full text of the ruling that followed their July 30 ruling rejecting a request by prosecutors to place Haggis under arrest for a second time over the allegations of the unnamed woman. The Italian news agency ANSA stated in the sentence that it could not be ruled out that the accused had “speculative intentions”.
Haggis, who won two Oscars for “Crash” and is also known for writing “Million Dollar Baby,” was arrested on June 19 in Ostuni, a location in the southern region of Puglia on the heels of an Italian shoe, for having sex. A 29-year-old British woman was allegedly assaulted over the course of two days in June. The 69-year-old filmmaker then spent 16 days under house arrest in a hotel, before being released from custody.
Haggis’ Italian lawyer, Michel LaForgia, said on Tuesday diverse The public prosecutor in the neighboring city of Brindisi has yet to issue a final ruling to dismiss the case. But this is considered possible.
Haggis is also facing court action in the United States where he is being sued by film publicist Haley Priest, who alleges that Haggis raped her in January 2013. Priest sued in December 2017, although the proceedings were delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The trial date is now set for October 11 in Manhattan. Haggis says that the meeting with Priest, which allegedly took place after the first show, was consensual. Both sides petitioned to exclude evidence from the Italian trial from the New York civil trial.
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