A Fijian rugby player from US Dax was sentenced Thursday to a one-year suspended prison sentence for sexual assault and violence during a heavily alcoholic evening in early November in Dax (Landes).
On November 7, third row Ratu Nacika and winger Jope Naseara were placed in police custody for “violence under the influence of alcohol”, accompanied by “sexual assault” for one. The events took place in different bars on the Place de la Fontaine Chaude, in the city center of Dax, on November 2, the day after the USD's victory against Nice in ProD2.
Ratu Nacika, 27, was convicted by the Dax court for acts of sexual assault, “committed on two victims, waitresses in two different establishments”, in a state of obvious intoxication, “accompanied by violence against a customer and of damage to the door of one of the bars”, as indicated by the prosecution at the time of his arrest at the beginning of the month. His lawyer, Me Nathalie Brethoux, pleaded for his release.
“I don’t remember anything, I’m sorry”
His teammate and fellow Fijian Jope Naseara, 21, and prosecuted for violence committed against the manager of a bar and a customer of this establishment, will be presented before the same court on May 5.
In both cases, the two rugby players provided “few details on the facts”, admitting to having been drunk during their actions, said the prosecution. “I don’t remember anything, I’m sorry,” Ratu Nacika declared on the stand, according to the daily Sud Ouest.
In a press release released after the revelation of the facts, the president of US Dax Benjamin Gufflet declared that the club wished to “collaborate to shed light on the matter, with respect for the victims and the team’s partners” . US Dax also announced that it had initiated disciplinary proceedings against the two players, “the result of which will depend on the seriousness of the facts established and the reaction of the players to the accusations”.
