Lyon. A former football club manager, previously a volunteer at OL, tried for rape of minor players

A former coach and manager of football clubs in the Lyon area, who was also a volunteer at OL, is on trial from Wednesday in Lyon for rape and sexual violence against minor players.

In the box of the Rhône Assize Court, a 67-year-old man appears, short, with a round, tense face and a long white ponytail. He is accused of having abused his position to rape three boys aged around ten between 1989 and 1996 and assaulted other minors between 1993 and 1998 and in 2018, according to a court document consulted by AFP. The victims requested a closed session at the opening of the hearing, shortly before 10 a.m.

The accused contests all the facts of rape, some of which he admitted during a hearing. On the other hand, he recognizes certain acts of aggression and exhibitionism, indicated his counsel, Mr.^e Samir Bellasri. He faces between 10 and 20 years in prison.

« Dthe shattered victims »

“We have a real emblematic trial, with shattered victims, the real profile of a predatory child molester, and an institution that fails to react,” M commented to AFP^e Agnès Bouquin, who defends one of the victims. The alleged acts all took place in an educational or supervisory context for minors licensed in football clubs, and took place in particular during trips around away matches.

The accused was coach and then manager of the Martel Caluire club between 1981 and 1998, then was manager of AS des Buers in Villeurbanne between 2016 and 2021. He then volunteered at Olympique Lyonnais between 2018 and 2021. There are hundreds of children who have been in contact with this person,” notes M.^e Agnès Bouquin, saying she fears that there are many victims in this case who have not been identified to date.

« Terrified by the solitude of these children”

“We are quite terrified by the loneliness of these children in the face of the attacker. None were able to report the facts to anyone within the club, whatever the club and the era. It was justice that sought them out,” she added.

In 2020, a victim finally decided to report him after meeting him again by chance. The facts were prescribed but his complaint of rape had triggered the opening of an investigation, which made it possible to identify the other victims.

Three of them joined as civil parties, including two at the opening of the trial, which is to be held until Thursday.