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Paul Haggis Will Remain on House Arrest Amid Rape Allegations

The British director was accused of sexually assaulting a British woman while visiting Italy.

British director Paul Haggis will remain on house arrest in Italy while authorities investigate a woman’s accusation that Haggis sexually assaulted her, an Italian judge ruled Wednesday. The unnamed British woman told police in Brindisi, Italy, that Haggis raped her for multiple days during his trip to the city. Haggis had allegedly flown the woman to Italy with him on his visit to Ostuni, Italy, where he was speaking at the Allora film festival. In a preliminary hearing Wednesday for Haggis and his lawyer, investigating judge Vilma Gilli decided to extend Haggis’ house arrest in a nearby hotel. After the hearing, his lawyer, Michele Laforgia, maintained Haggis’ innocence, saying his relationship with the woman was consensual. Laforgia also said Haggis was fully cooperative with the investigation, which will continue with a special evidence pre-trial hearing, according to Deadline.