Thursday January 16, the Bordeaux court dismissed the case in favor of the two players behind the fatal tackle against Nicolas Chauvin in 2018. A decision that the victim's father, Philippe Chauvin, does not accept.
On December 12, 2018, Nicolas Chauvin, an 18-year-old Stade Français player, died in hospital, three days after suffering a dangerous tackle during a match. A violent shock which led to a fracture of the young man’s second cervical vertebra, which “caused cardiac arrest and cerebral anoxia”. A tragedy which had greatly shaken the world of ovals and which had given rise to the indictment of the two authors of the fatal tackle.
Six years later, the pain of Nicolas Chauvin's father, Philippe Chauvin, is still strong and has just been rekindled by the decision to dismiss the case in favor of the Rugby players. Thursday January 16, the Bordeaux court ruled that there had indeed been “a sporting offense”, but that the criminal liability of the two players had not been established. “Dying is not a sufficient danger to be sent before a court”, criticizes Philippe Chauvin to “Parisien”, the day after this verdict, announcing his intention to appeal.
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The man denounces a “partial, biased” investigation which resulted in “a story sewn with white thread”, as well as a “obvious obstruction” on the part of the French Rugby Federation (FFR) “so that we remain in a great vagueness of interpretation and subjectivity”.
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-“A lawless zone”
Philippe Chauvin's main complaint is that after the accident, Joël Dumé, technical director of refereeing (DTNA), and Didier Retière, national technical director (DTN), allegedly confirmed to him that “two faults” had been committed this that day, including a “high tackle”. However, at least two “neutral” referees refused to make a decision before the judge in charge of the case and those present during the match claimed to have noticed “no fault on the day of the match”. Instead, “they put forward all possible mitigating circumstances,” criticizes Philippe Chauvin.
The other complaint made by the father is that the two players targeted by the investigation were not heard between 2018 and 2023 and were then only heard as “assisted witnesses”. “During their hearings, the two players did not want to see the video [du fameux plaquage]denounces Philippe Chauvin. I wonder why the judge didn't force them to do so by saying: “it's still your stupidity, it's up to you to take responsibility”. No, we didn't show them, we didn't bring them back to their responsibility because, you understand, they are traumatized, they suffer, they don't sleep, they take medication. But that doesn't stop them from playing rugby and one of them having a professional career. »
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The man nevertheless insists on the fact that this judgment established that “there were indeed two head impacts which constitute faults in terms of sporting regulations”. “So stop telling me that nothing happened or that Nicolas didn't have the level, that he was too young,” orders Philippe Chauvin in the columns of “Parisien”. “Nicolas was in perfect health and physical condition. At no time is his training or his ability to play at this level called into question. He was licensed at the Stade Français Paris, he had eleven years of rugby, measured 1.93 m and weighed 97 kilos. » “The real subject is knowing to what extent we accept violence on a rugby field,” he concludes. This dismissal establishes rugby as a lawless zone in which death is not sufficient to characterize the danger or imprudence of certain behaviors. »
