The Oscar-winning director and screenwriter Paul Haggis remains under house arrest in Ostuni because it can pollute the evidence and repeat the crime. This was decided by the investigating judge of the Court of Brindisi Vilma Gilli that she did not validate the arrest due to lack of the danger of escape, but applied the precautionary measure against her for sexual violence against a 30-year-old English woman. The judge believes that “pending the hearing of the alleged victim in a cross-examination – the defense of Haggis, the lawyer Michele Laforgia, says – there is a risk of pollution of the only source of evidence”. As for the danger of repetition of the crime, the investigating judge considered it existed “due to – adds the defender – the pending civil dispute with a similar object in the United States”.
“The” disputed “modalities of the fact are symptomatic of absolute inability of the suspect to control his instincts and to desist from their own intentions, in an attitude of prevarication and dominance “. writes the investigating judge in the seven pages of the precautionary custody order. The fact that Haggis himself – argues the judge – is part of a civil case brought against him before the US Supreme Court for facts of sexual violence is “in the state of a possible inclination to commit a sexual offense on the part of the suspect”.
In the interrogation this morning, assisted by the lawyer Michele Laforgia, Haggis had answered the questions by declaring himself innocent. The director has been under house arrest since last Sunday in a hotel in Ostuni (Brindisi), gave his version of the facts to the investigating judge Vilma Gilli in the guarantee questioning for the validation of the arrest.
“Paul Haggis explained how things went. He declared himself totally innocent, as he had done in the immediacy of the arrest. The relationships he has had with this woman are totally consensual during these three days spent together in Ostuni “, the lawyer continued.” We have made it clear – Laforgia specified -, even contrary to what is assumed in the charges, that there is no injury and no sign of violence ” . “I believe – underlined the criminal lawyer from Bari – that they misinterpreted the report from the Emergency Department, where the girl was examined following the complaint. Now we are awaiting the decision of the judge who will have to rule both on the arrest and on the request of the prosecution, which is to maintain house arrest pending urgent investigations. “
“The probative incident has already been requested by hearing the contradictory complaint. Mr. Haggis expressly stated that not only did he not do anything to escape the investigations of the Italian justice, and that he remained here also because he was working here and had to work for the festival. But also to have every interest in being present at these investigations and then to remain in Italy until his total innocence is ascertained, because his life here depends on this, but also in the United States where he resides ” .
“We no longer enter into the merits out of respect for the judge who is in the council chamber and will come out no earlier than the afternoon. The judge has already said that he will decide today, and it will take hours. As you have seen, the hearing lasted quite a bit, we have discussed, he made statements, answered the questions. It is opportune to do an in-depth study, there are not many documents, but the matter is very delicate. The probative incident has not yet been fixed, but has already been requested “, said the Michele Laforgia to the reporters.
“The defense, in formulating an express reserve to challenge the provision in the terms and in the manner provided for by law, reiterates once again that the suspect claims to be completely unrelated to the chargestrusting that the complete truth of the facts will be quickly re-established and the suspect’s freedom restored “, lawyer Laforgia said in the evening.
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