OSTUNI, ITALY (CelebrityAccess) – Italian authorities have detained Canadian-born, Oscar-winning director and screenwriter Paul Haggis (69) on sexual assault and aggravated personal injury charges. Italian police arrested Haggis on Sunday (June 19) for allegedly raping a woman in Ostuni (Southern Italy) over two days, as reported by NPR.
According to prosecutors Antonio Negro and Livia Orlando per the Italian press LaPresse, a woman was found in a local airport, allegedly left there by Haggis in the morning despite her “precarious physical and psychological conditions.” Airport staff alerted the local police, and she was taken to a hospital.
Court documents signed by the two prosecutors in the town of Brindisi, an investigation has begun into a “young foreign woman who allegedly suffered non-consensual sex for two days” and “required medical treatment.”
Haggis was in Italy to attend the upcoming film festival, Allora Fest, to teach some master classes. The directors of Allora Fest said the news was shocking and expressed their solidarity with the woman involved. Haggis was immediately removed from the event roster.
Haggis’ attorney, Priya Chaudhry, said in an email, “Under Italian Law, I cannot discuss the evidence. That said, I am confident that all allegations will be dismissed against Mr. Haggis. He is innocent and willing to fully cooperate with the authorities so the truth can come out quickly.”
