The number of people reporting sex crimes in France increased dramatically following the scandal involving Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein, France's interior ministry said Thursday.

The number of cases reported for sexual assault crimes, including sexual harassment but excluding rape, rose 31.5 percent in the fourth quarter of 2017 compared to the same period in 2016. Women made up more than 80 percent of the victims.

Reported rape cases were up 12 percent year-on-year for the whole of 2017, while reported sexual assault cases rose by 10 percent.

Read more: What do Europeans consider sexual harassment?

Interior Minister Gerard Collomb linked the rise in reported crimes to the Weinstein scandal

Weinstein effect

"One can see the effect of reporting of possibly older incidents in the context of women speaking out following the revelations of the 'Weinstein' affair," an interior ministry statement said.

Interior Minister Gerard Collomb backed up that assessment, telling French broadcaster Europe 1 radio the Weinstein revelations appeared to have made victims "less hesitant" to come forward.

Multiple women have accused former film producer Harvey Weinstein of sexual harassment and rape since October.

The scandal — one of the most prominent within the entertainment industry in recent years — sparked the global "#MeToo" movement encouraging women to speak out against sexual harassment and report sexual crimes.

Read more: 100 days of #MeToo

Divisive movement

The French version of the movement, "#BalanceTonPorc" ("Call out your pig"), has divided women in France.

Film star Catherine Deneuve and around 100 other prominent French women penned a letter in early January criticizing what they saw as the movement's excesses.

The signatories lauded the "legitimate protest against the sexual violence," but denounced the movement's "puritanism" and evolution into a "witch-hunt" against men.

Read more: French film star Catherine Deneuve apologizes to sex assault victims

French stars divided over #MeToo Catherine Deneuve Among the signatories of the open letter was Oscar-nominated French star Catherine Deneuve. Already known for her controversial stance toward harassment, Deneuve has said she finds the #MeToo and #BalanceTonPorc social media actions "excessive." That's after she expressed her support for director Roman Polanski, who is still wanted in the US for the statutory rape of a 13-year-old girl in 1977.

French stars divided over #MeToo Catherine Millet Modern art expert and editor-in-chief of the magazine Art Press, Catherine Millet was also among the signatories who wrote, "Rape is a crime, but trying to seduce someone, even persistently or cack-handedly, is not — nor is men being gentlemanly a macho attack." Millet is perhaps best known for her book, "The Sexual Life of Catherine M.," a memoir tracing her 30 years in France's swinger scene.

French stars divided over #MeToo Ingrid Caven German-born Chanson singer, Ingrid Caven, added her name to the open letter, which claims that the protest's legitimacy has turned into a "witch-hunt." "Instead of helping women, this frenzy (...) actually helps the enemies of sexual liberty — religious extremists and the worst sort of reactionaries. As women, we do not recognize ourselves in this feminism."

French stars divided over #MeToo Brigitte Lahaie A radio talk show host who got her start in the porn industry in 1976, just a year after it was legalized, Brigitte Lahaie signed the letter, which speaks of a "purifying wave" that knows no limit. "(T)he human being is not monolithic: a woman can in the same day lead a professional team and enjoy being the sexual object of a man without being a 'slut' nor a vile accomplice of the patriarchy."

French stars divided over #MeToo #BalanceTonPorc France's version of #MeToo is #BalanceTonPorc, or "call out your pig." Created by NY-based French journalist Sandra Muller, it essentially invites people to name names — and that involves legal risks. Muller herself was asked by lawyers to delete a tweet in which she named a French executive who had said offensive remarks.

French stars divided over #MeToo Ségolène Royal Prominent feminists quickly responded to the letter signed by Deneuve, saying that it blurred the line between seduction and harassment and in doing so, harmed the "millions of women who suffer from this abuse." Former presidential candidate Ségolène Royal took to Twitter to express her dismay, saying, "It's too bad that our great Catherine Deneuve has signed on to this disconcerting text."

French stars divided over #MeToo Emma De Caunes Among the women who have accused Harvey Weinstein of inappropriate behavior is French actress Emma De Caunes. De Caunes said she had met Weinstein for lunch at a Paris Hotel in 2010. She was invited to his hotel room to discuss a project but after he walked out of his bathroom naked with an erection, Caunes fled. "It was like a hunter with a wild animal," she said. "The fear turns him on."

French stars divided over #MeToo Florence Darel In October, actress Florence Darel also came out as having been sexually harassed by Harvey Weinstein, telling People magazine that Weinstein pursued her in the mid '90s and then propositioned her in a hotel room while his then-wife, Eve Chilton, was in the room next door. Darcel, who starred in "The Stolen Children" and "Uranus" has also accused other French producers, including Jacques Dorfmann.

French stars divided over #MeToo Isabelle Adjani In October, shortly after the accusations against Harvey Weinstein went public, French actress Isabelle Adjani published an op-ed in the weekly JDD newspaper saying, "(T)his is not a game … When an actress dresses up in a seductive way to get a role, it's not to get raped!" She went on to say that in France, "things are more sneaky" than in the US — but "seduction" cannot be an excuse for assault. Author: Courtney Tenz



amp/msh (AP, AFP)