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Former French swimmerYannick Agnel, who won gold in the 200m freestyle and gold and silver in the 4x100m and 4x200m freestyle as part of the French relay team at the London 2012 Games, will appear before a French criminal court charged with rape and sexual assault of a minor under 13 years of age.
The events are alleged to have taken place in 2016, although the investigation did not begin until the summer of 2021 following the complaint of a swimmer who trained with Agnel in Mulhouse, a city in eastern near the borders with Switzerland and , between 2014 and 2016.
The swimmer, the daughter of one of Agnel's coaches, accused the athlete of having a relationship with her while staying at her parents' house. The French double Olympic champion was 24 years old at the time and the victim was only 13.
The investigating judge must make a final decision by the end of April and may choose to dismiss the case in part or in full or refer it to the criminal court. The judicial process began after Agnel was charged on December 11.
15 years old, the age limit in
The swimmer, who is now 32, has always maintained that the relationship was consensual and affectionate. However, prosecutor Edwige Roux-Morizot argued that "the facts constitute rape and sexual assault because of the age difference, as the court considers that there is real moral coercion".
In , the age of sexual consent is 15 years old. This means that any sexual act with a person under the age of 15 is considered a crime, even if the minor agrees, with some exceptions where the age of the other person involved is taken into .
Agnel, who was named after French tennis player Yannick Noah, had a brilliant but short career because he retired shortly after the Rio 2016 Games at the age of just 24.