Police have charged Hollywood actor Jean-Claude Van Damme with knowingly engaging in sexual relations with trafficked women and minors.
Authorities filed a criminal complaint against the Hollywood actor with the Romanian Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT), CNN affiliate Antena 3 reported.
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The charges accuse Van Damme of having obtained five Romanian women as a “gift” in Cannes, France while knowing they were trafficked by an alleged criminal group led by Morel Bolea.
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Attorney Adrian Cuculis, a representative of one of the allegedly trafficked women, issued a statement about the allegations made against the famous “Universal Soldier” and “Kickboxer” actor.
AOL report: An individual claiming to have witnessed alleged incident said it occurred at an event organized by Van Damme in Cannes and told authorities, which prompted the DIICOT to open a criminal investigation, according to Antena 3.
“We are discussing an outrageous case that is not new for the Prosecutor’s Offices in Romania. From the statements given in a case of trafficking in minors and human trafficking that started with the investigations since 2020, one of the victims … told prosecutors in Iasi how at a certain point in Cannes, at an event organized by Jean-Claude Van Damme, several Romanians who are currently being investigated for forming a criminal group and pimping, allegedly offered Jean-Claude Van Damme five Romanian women — photo models in Romania — for him to have sexual relations with,” Cuculis said, according to the translated article.
“The person who received those benefits knew their condition. From the witness statements, it is very clear that Jean-Claude Van Damme knew that these people were being exploited,” he alleged.
The Prosecutor General of the Prosecutor’s Office attached to the High Court of Cassation and Justice must agree to the beginning of criminal proceedings because the alleged actions took place in Cannes, located in France, Antena 3 reported. This office is the highest prosecutorial authority in Romania, according to Thomson Reuters Practical Law.
The allegations have not been publicly addressed by the 64-year-old Hollywood star.
Van Damme has secured more than 80 movie credits to his name over the course of his five-decades long career in film.