Italian Judge Rules Paul Haggis to Remain Under House Arrest in Sexual Assault Case
variety.comNick Vivarelli International CorrespondentAn Italian judge has ruled that Paul Haggis is to remain under house arrest in the case that sees the “Crash” director accused by an unidentified woman of repeated sexual assault and aggravated personal injury.Judge Vilma Gilli made her deliberation several hours after a preliminary hearing Wednesday in which Haggis answered questions in the courthouse in the Southern port city of Brindisi, on the “heel” of the Italian boot.
During deliberation, Haggis said his sexual relations with the woman had been consensual. The judge ruled that Haggis must remain in the hotel in nearby Ostuni, where he has been in custody since Sunday.In a statement to Variety, Haggis’ Italian attorney Michele Laforgia said the judge “applied the precautionary measure of house arrest” to Haggis, believing that, “pending the hearing of the alleged victim, there is a risk of evidence-tampering of the only source of evidence which she deems necessary to submit to further checks and findings.” The source of evidence is the alleged victim herself.
Laforgia reiterated that Haggis denies the accusations and trusts “that the complete truth of the facts will be quickly re-established and his freedom returned.”The next step is a special evidence pre-trial hearing, likely next week, that is expected to involve a cross examination between Haggis and the alleged victim, who is believed to still be in Italy, and their respective lawyers.
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