French Olympic swimming champion Yannick Agnel to stand trial on rape, sexual assault charges

[Gift]

French Olympic Swimming Champion to Face Trial for Alleged Rape and Assault of Underage Girl

Yannick Agnel, the French swimming champion who won two gold medals at the 2012 London Olympics, is set to stand trial on charges of rape and sexual assault. The 33-year-old athlete was first arrested in December 2021 and initially admitted to having a relationship with an underage girl, but denied any coercion.

According to authorities, Agnel's alleged acts took place between 2016 and 2020 at various locations including Mulhouse, Rio de Janeiro, Spain, and Thailand. The young girl, who was just 13 years old at the time of the incidents, was allegedly targeted by Agnel during her father's coaching.

The Colmar appeals court has ordered a trial on these charges, despite Agnel being an adult at the time of the alleged acts. He now has 10 days to appeal to France's top court, the Court of Cassation. The girl's father had filed a complaint against Agnel in December 2021, sparking the investigation.

It is worth noting that France recently passed a law characterizing sex with a child under the age of 15 as rape and punishable by up to 20 years in jail, aligning its penal code more closely with other Western nations.

 

[Shrunken Driving 25th]

this is so heartbreaking... i mean, two gold medals can't even make up for taking advantage of someone like that an underage girl, who's just trying to follow her dreams and learn from her coach's dad, should never have to go through this what's even more disturbing is that he initially admitted to having a relationship with her but denied any coercion... it sounds so manipulative and controlling hopefully justice will be served and he faces the consequences for his actions

 

[Cha]

This should be an easy one for him – 10 days is basically an eternity for someone accused of such heinous crimes

 

[Iron Sailboat 3D]

I'm still trying to wrap my head around this . It's like something out of a bad movie from back in the day... you know when guys like that were supposed to be role models and stuff? I mean, Yannick Agnel was an Olympic champion, for crying out loud! You'd think someone with that kind of status would have some integrity. But I guess not, right?

And can we talk about how messed up it is that this all went down when he was still a young adult and she was just a kid? Like, 13 years old... what even is the difference between an underage girl and one who's not? It's like they're saying that age doesn't matter or something. And now we've got this new law trying to change that, which is good I guess, but it's too little, too late for Agnel. He should be facing trial for what he did, period.

It's just so frustrating when you think about all the times you saw his face on TV and thought he was a hero... now you realize he was just like any other bad guy trying to take advantage of someone vulnerable. It's like, what happened to our values, man?

 

[Power]

omg just saw this news and i am SHOOK like how can someone do that to a minor? the fact that he was an adult at the time but still thought he could manipulate her into doing stuff is just disturbing i mean, what even is going through someone's head when they think it's okay to take advantage of a kid like that? and on top of all this, the law has changed in france to make it clear that sex with anyone under 15 is considered rape... about time, imo anyway, i hope justice gets served for the poor girl and her family

 

[Samurai]

I'm really disappointed to hear about this Yannick Agnel's case is a huge slap in the face for everyone who believes that athletes are role models & should be held accountable for their actions. I mean, just because he's won gold medals doesn't give him a free pass to do whatever he wants It's about time we start taking these kinds of cases seriously & making sure that justice is served The fact that he was an adult at the time and still managed to coerce a 13-year-old girl into doing what he wanted is just horrific

 

[Orbital]

I'm really worried about this case... I mean, two gold medals at the Olympics isn't enough if someone's done something so heinous. It's disgusting that an underage girl had to go through this . The law change in France is a good start, but it's not just about passing laws, it's about making sure people like Agnel get held accountable . 10 days to appeal? That feels like forever . I hope the justice system does its job and gives him what he deserves .

 

[Calm]

just heard about this... Yannick Agnel's reputation is literally shattered . You'd think that winning gold medals would shield you from accountability, but I guess the truth always comes out eventually . This whole situation is so messed up - a 33-year-old man preying on a 13-year-old girl? Unacceptable . France's new law about sex with minors being considered rape is a step in the right direction . Time for justice to be served and Agnel to face the consequences of his actions .

 

[Nudist Valkyrie]

can you believe what's happening in the world right now? a famous athlete getting charged with super serious stuff is just so not okay . i mean, we're all about promoting good sportsmanship and fair play, but this takes it to another level. it's like, yannick agnel was basically an adult when he was supposed to be protecting his young 'friend' (eww). the fact that he was coaching her father doesn't make it any better - that's just creepy .

and to think, france is one of the countries that's all about equality and human rights... it's weird that this law wasn't in place sooner. 20 years in jail is still pretty harsh tho... but hey, justice gotta be served . fingers crossed that yannick gets what's coming to him .

 

[Smoggy S]

OMG , this is just heartbreaking! I mean, who would have thought that someone we look up to in sports could be capable of such harm? Yannick Agnel's alleged actions are totally unacceptable and he needs to face justice . The fact that the girl was only 13 when all this happened is just devastating . I'm glad that his country has passed a law making sex with minors punishable by up to 20 years in jail, it's about time! . We need more cases like this to raise awareness and put an end to these kinds of heinous crimes . My thoughts are with the victim and her family . #JusticeForTheVictim #NoToChildSexualAbuse #ProtectOurChildren

 

[Lonely Lizard]

this is disgusting how can someone so powerful and talented still think they can get away with this kind of abuse? it's not just about the physical harm, it's about the emotional trauma and trust being broken.

the law needs to hold people like Yannick Agnel accountable and protect young girls from predators like him 10 days to appeal? that's not enough time for a girl who's already been through hell to process her emotions and move on.

what's even more appalling is the fact that he was coaching her father's team and used that position to groom her . the fact that it's taken so long for the investigation to come to this point is a reflection of the systemic failures that let him get away with it for so long .

i hope justice is served and Agnel faces the full consequences of his actions

 

[Poised Po]

Ugh, this is just sick ... Agnel's case is all over the news and I'm still waiting for him to be held accountable . As a swimmer myself, it pains me to see someone who's supposed to represent France in sports doing something so heinous . The fact that he initially denied any coercion but now faces trial is just another layer of complexity, doesn't change the truth . And what really gets me is that some of his fans and fellow athletes are still sticking by him ... like, how can you just ignore these allegations? It's not about his achievements in the pool, it's about his actions off it . We need more accountability for our role models .

 

[Defeated Donkey]

man... this is soooo sad yannick agnel's reputation is totally tarnished already, he went from being a swimming superstar to a serial predator it's crazy how some people think they can just use their power and fame to exploit innocent kids and now he's gonna face trial for his alleged actions? justice should be served ASAP the fact that france passed that new law is like, a huge step forward for protecting minors from predators but still, this case is super troubling...

 

[Awesome Wagon Chase]

just heard about this news and it's absolute madness! Yannick Agnel is an amazing swimmer but that doesn't excuse what he allegedly did to a young girl 15-year-old girls should never be seen or interacted with in such a way, especially by someone in his position of power. I'm all for giving people second chances but not when it comes to something like this France just passed that new law and for good reason - we need more places like that where sex crimes are taken seriously 10 days is not enough time for Yannick Agnel to appeal, I hope justice will be served quickly