The trial of five ex-FC Grenoble players prosecuted in a rape case lasted only about an hour. The absence of Denis Coulson caused its postponement to December 2.
The trial of the five ex-Grenoble players accused of having participated in a rape in 2017 therefore began on Monday at 2 p.m., but it lasted very little time. At 3 p.m., the president announced that the trial was postponed to another session of the Gironde Assize Court. But on Monday, we saw four of the five accused arrive at the Bordeaux court through the main entrance at the same time as the public and all the people concerned by legal news. The hearing opened at 2:10 p.m., the hubbub stopped and the four men were seen standing in front of the court. They were asked to provide their identity, home and occupation. Rory Grice, Loick Jammes, Dylan Hayes and Chris Farrell performed.
Then the president took note of the absence of Denis Coulson, explaining that the court ultimately had little information on the reasons for this absence, still mentioning a certificate from an Irish surgeon. The player reportedly had a serious road accident in Dublin on June 12 which required hospitalization and was unable to travel for six weeks. His lawyer, Maître Dreyfus-Schmidt, took the floor, confirming the facts and explaining that the Irish hospital had difficulty telling him how long his client would recover.
Closed session requested
Then, it was the turn of the civil party to speak. We then heard the voice of the complainant, the young girl who said she was raped that night in March 2017. She asked for a closed session, as the law allows. The president then asked the public and the press to leave the room. Half an hour later, the doors opened again, the room was filled a second time. And the president announced that given the importance of Denis Coulson’s role in this affair, the court ordered the postponement of this trial to a later date. There was no question for the court of separating the Coulson case from that of the other accused, as is sometimes the case. We will have to wait many weeks for justice to enlighten us on the events of the March night in a hotel in Mérignac. The trial will therefore resume from December 2 to 13.
