French Olympic swimmer Yannick Agnel is facing trial for accusations of rape and sexual assault involving the 13-year-old daughter of his former coach, as confirmed by the prosecutor general’s office in Colmar.
The Colmar appeals court’s investigative chamber has mandated that the 33-year-old must stand trial because he was an adult during the alleged incidents. Agnel has a 10-day window to contest this ruling at France’s highest court, the Court of Cassation.
Agnel was taken into custody in December 2021. Although he acknowledged a relationship with the underage girl, he has denied any form of coercion.
The reported events go back to 2016 when the girl was 13 and Agnel was 24, and supposedly occurred in various locations such as Mulhouse, Rio de Janeiro during the Olympics, Spain, and Thailand, according to French judicial authorities.
Having claimed two gold medals at the 2012 London Olympics in the 200m freestyle and 4x100m freestyle relay, Agnel retired from professional swimming in 2016.
Under France’s 2021 legislation, any sexual engagement with individuals under 15 is now considered rape, carrying a penalty of up to 20 years in prison, bringing the country in line with numerous other Western nations.