French Olympic swimming champion Yannick Agnel has been ordered to stand trial over allegations he raped and sexually assaulted the 13-year-old daughter of his former coach.
Court Orders Trial for Former Champion
The decision was confirmed by the prosecutor general's office in Colmar, France. The Colmar appeals court's investigative chamber has formally ordered the 33-year-old to face trial, as he was an adult at the time of the alleged offences. Agnel now has a ten-day window to challenge this ruling at France's highest judicial authority, the Court of Cassation.
Admitted Relationship, Denied Coercion
Agnel was first arrested in connection with these allegations in December 2021. During the investigation, he admitted to having a relationship with the girl while she was underage but has consistently denied any element of coercion or force. The alleged incidents are said to have started in 2016, when the complainant was 13 years old and Agnel was 24.
Judicial officials state the alleged crimes occurred in multiple international locations, including:
- Mulhouse, France.
- Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, during the 2016 Olympic Games.
- Spain.
- Thailand.
Legal Context and Potential Consequences
The case falls under a significant change in French law. In 2021, France updated its legislation to classify any sexual activity with a person under the age of 15 as rape, bringing it into line with many other Western nations. This offence is punishable by up to 20 years imprisonment.
Yannick Agnel is a celebrated figure in French sport, having won two gold medals at the 2012 London Olympics in the 200m freestyle and the 4x100m freestyle relay. He retired from competitive swimming in 2016, the same year the alleged crimes began.
The upcoming trial will now determine the truth of these serious allegations against the former athlete.
