Paul Haggis, an Oscar-winning Canadian screenwriter and filmmaker, was detained on Sunday in Italy on allegations of sexual assault and serious physical harm, which he denies inflicting on an unidentified lady.
Haggis is accused of forcing a young “foreign” (non-Italian) for sexual intercourse over the course of two days in Ostuni, Italy, according to a notice from the public prosecutor of the adjacent city of Brindisi. Prosecutors claimed he was also charged with “aggravated personal injury and crimes committed to the prejudice of a young foreign woman.”
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Paul Haggis Arrested For Alleged Sexual Assault
The Allora Fest, a new cinema event inaugurated by Los Angeles-based Italian journalist Silvia Bizio and Spanish art critic Sol Costales Doulton in Ostuni from June 21 to June 16 featured numerous seminars with Paul Haggis, who was in town to helm them.
When Haggis was arrested for suspected assault, the Allora Fest claimed they “learned with dismay and amazement. Any participation of the director in the event had been promptly removed,” the festival’s directors were reported as having done “immediately”.
“Under Italian law, I cannot discuss the evidence. That said, I am confident that all allegations will be dismissed against Mr. Haggis. He is totally innocent and willing to fully cooperate with the authorities so the truth comes out quickly,” Priya Chaudhry, Haggis’ personal attorney, told the press. She further claimed that he is innocent and would cooperate with the police.
About The Case Against Haggis
The daily La Repubblica in Italy reports that Haggis is being held in a hotel in Ostuni under house arrest. The victim had been lodging with Haggis prior to the festival, prosecutors claimed.
According to the police report, “the suspect reportedly forced the young woman, whom he had previously met, to engage in sexual activity.” The lady was “forced to seek medical attention” after a single meeting.
In the year preceding ‘Crash‘, Haggis wrote and produced ‘Million Dollar Baby‘, which was nominated for the best picture Oscar. In addition to ‘Casino Royale‘ and ‘Quantum of Solace‘, he has also written the scripts for other Bond films.
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