Global Infamy: Cyclist Who Knocked Over Girl Finally Named
The mystery man who became the world's most despised cyclist after a viral video showed him knocking over a little girl and riding away has been unmasked today as retiree Jacques Davenne. Incredibly, the 66-year-old president of a local cycling club continues to blame his five-year-old victim for the incident that occurred on a snowy path in a Belgian nature reserve on Christmas Day 2020.
Viral Video and Legal Battles
The footage, viewed tens of millions of times worldwide, shows Davenne cycling along a snowy track at Baraque Michel nature reserve near Verviers. As he emerges from a bend, he collides with young Neia Mpasa, sending her tumbling into the snow. Instead of stopping to check on the child, Davenne continues riding, an action that sparked global outrage on social media platforms.
This week, the notorious cyclist lost a protracted three-year legal battle with Neia's father, Patrick Mpasa, who had originally posted the video on Facebook. Davenne had initially won a defamation case against the father, with the court ordering the Mpasa family to pay him 4,500 Euros in compensation. However, an appeal overturned this decision in favour of Neia's parents.
Unrepentant Stance
When confronted by the Daily Mail, Davenne remained defiant about the incident. "I did nothing wrong... I rang my bell several times," he insisted. The retired gardener explained that he was cycling gently along the track when he saw the girl and her mother ahead, with the father filming. He claims he rang his bell multiple times, but when they didn't hear him, he attempted to cycle past.
"I slipped and lost my balance slightly," Davenne recounted. "That's when I knocked the little girl. I had put my leg out to balance myself. I didn't realise I had hit her and she had fallen over as I had cycled past."
Despite the court's ruling against him, Davenne is considering further legal action. "I'm upset the case went against me as I still feel I did nothing wrong," he said. "I am going to have a meeting with my lawyer to see if we can take it further."
Original Legal Proceedings
Davenne was originally given a suspended sentence for involuntary assault due to negligence, but received no additional punishment after the judge determined he had already suffered sufficiently from worldwide criticism on social media. The cyclist had long hidden behind Belgian secrecy rules, remaining unnamed in legal proceedings until today's revelation.
The prosecution during earlier hearings argued against Davenne's version of events. They suggested he was "simply annoyed by the people on the path whom he had to swerve around all the time" and gave the child a "knee punch out of sheer annoyance because an obstacle was in his way for the umpteenth time."
Family's Perspective
Patrick Mpasa, Neia's father, previously expressed his frustration with Davenne's lack of remorse. "He explained what happened and asked us to withdraw the police complaint, but he showed no remorse and did not apologise," Mr. Mpasa said at the time. The family believed it was not an accident, particularly because Davenne did not stop to check if the girl was okay after the collision.
"A lot of people tell me that I should have hit him," Mr. Mpasa added. "But I don't agree and, in any case, I was in front of my children, which would have made things even worse for them. I also don't want a witch hunt, I just want him to apologise."
Psychological Impact and Continued Cycling
Davenne acknowledged the psychological toll the incident has taken on him, stating that the global attention has been "very difficult." He claims his cycling friends understand it was an accident, but he's been "made to look very bad because of the video."
Remarkably, the controversy hasn't deterred him from his passion. "I can assure you of one thing - I am still cycling and I intend to carry on cycling," Davenne declared. "It's part of life and this won't put me off at all. I've been riding for years, I'm passionate about it."
The case has highlighted ongoing tensions between cyclists and pedestrians on shared paths, with the court noting that the video's publication contributed to public debate on this issue under freedom of expression principles.
