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The former French swimmer Yannick Agnel, gold in the 200 meters free and gold and silver in 4×100 and 4×200 freestyle as part of the Gallic relay in the London Games 2012will appear before a French criminal court accused of rape and sexual abuse of a child under 13.
The events would have occurred in 2016 although the investigation did not begin until the summer of 2021 After the complaint of a swimmer who trained with Agnel in Mulhouse, a city in the eastern half of France near the borders with Switzerland and Germany, between 2014 and 2016.
The swimmer, daughter of one of Agnel’s coacheshe accused the athlete of having maintained a relationship with her while staying at her parents’ house. The French Olympic bicampeon was 24 years old at that time and the victim only 13.
The instruction judge must make his final decision before the end of April and may choose to dismiss the case in part or in its entirety or to send it to the Criminal Court. The judicial process began after Agnel was accused on December 11.
15 years, the limit age in France
The swimmer, who is now 32 years old, He has always maintained that the relationship was consented and affectionate. However, the prosecutor, Edwige Roux-Morizot, argued that “the facts constitute a sexual violation and aggression due to the age difference, since Justice considers that there is true moral coercion“
In France, the age of sexual consent is 15 years. This means that any sexual act with a person under 15 years It is considered a crime, even if the child agreeswith some exceptions in which the age of the other person involved is taken into account.
Agnel, who received his name in honor of French tennis player Yannick Noah, had a brilliant but short career because He retired shortly after the 2016 Rio Games with just 24 years.
