Jean-Claude Van Damme accused of sleeping with trafficking victims
According to a report published by CNN affiliate Antena 3, the Romanian Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT) is probing claims that Van Damme, 64, had sex with women he knew were being sex trafficked by Morel Bolea's criminal group.
The Street Fighter star allegedly accepted sex with the women as a 'gift' while in Cannes and is accused of knowing the victims were part of a trafficking network.
Adrian Cuculis, a lawyer for one of the women, said in a statement translated by Page Six that the women were 'in a state of vulnerability.'
'At one point in Cannes, at an event organized by Jean-Claude Van Damme, several Romanians who are currently being investigated for the establishment of 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 told the outlet, according to a translation.
Cuculis alleges that 'it is very clear that Jean-Claude Van Damme knew that these people were being exploited.'
The allegations against Van Damme were uncovered by authorities during a probe of human trafficking and the trafficking of minors that began in 2020.
Van Damme was implicated after an unnamed young women 'witnessed the moment in Cannes' when the actor was allegedly 'given Romanian women.'
Because the alleged crimes took place in France, the French government reportedly has to sign off on any criminal proceedings.
Van Damme, who has yet to respond to the allegations, isn't the only famous face who has been accused of crimes stemming from sex trafficking in Romania. Controversial social media influencer brothers Andrew and Tristan Tate have been charged with human trafficking and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women in the country.
mdaniell@postmedia.com
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