PARIS –
A criminal court in Paris on Monday postponed French actor Gerard Depardieu’s trial on charges of sexually assaulting two woman on a film set because of concerns about his health, shifting the start of the proceedings to March.
Depardieu, who has denied any wrongdoing, is accused of using “violence, coercion, surprise or threat” in the alleged sexual assaults that prosecutors say took place on the set of “Les Volets verts” (“The Green Shutters.”)
The court also ordered an expert to assess the 75-year-old actor’s health issues. Depardieu’s lawyer Jeremie Assous requested the postponement, saying that the actor has heart trouble and diabetes-related issues.
Assous said that doctors decided the actor was not well enough to attend the proceedings even though he was eager to appear in court.
“He is anxious to defend himself, because for over three years, a huge number of inaccuracies, false information and lies have been systematically …