Jean-Pierre Dartevelle, former president of the Franche-Comté Tennis League and former number 2 of the FFT will be presented to court next February. He is accused of rape by a young woman over a period spanning 2016 to 2018.
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He is a well-known figure in the world of tennis. Jean-Pierre Dartevelle, former president of the Franche-Comté Tennis League and former vice-president of the French Tennis Federation (FFT), will be before the criminal court of Besançon, from February 11 to 13.
The septuagenarian is accused of rape by a young sportswoman over a period spanning from September 20, 2016 to March 31, 2018. The rapes allegedly took place in the accused’s dental office, in Montbéliard. The young girl was between 17 and 19 years old at the time, according to AFP.
The victim denounced the rapes in 2018. She depicts a relationship “forced while she was the victim of the influence” of this man, close to his family, explains a judicial source to AFP.
-The case has seen many twists and turns. Jean-Pierre Dartevelle was first placed in police custody in September 2018, as part of an investigation into “corruption of minors and sexual assault of minors over 15 years old”.
The case has been dismissed three times over the years. In March 2023, the referral of the case for rape to the Doubs criminal court is confirmed. A dismissal which the accused had appealed before withdrawing, specifies the AFP.
Jean-Pierre Dartevelle’s lawyer, Maître Marie-Alix Canu-Bernard, explained in 2023 that her client “does not understand what he is accused of. For him, it was a romantic relationship that lasted two years“.
The former tennis professional was also known in the region for his football career with FC Sochaux. He had also been LR regional councilor for Burgundy-Franche-Comté.
The 74-year-old man had tried to win the presidency of the French Tennis Federation, before being defeated by Bernard Giudicelli in 2017.
The French Tennis Federation and the Children’s Foundation have filed a civil suit alongside the victim in this case. The accused faces 15 years of criminal imprisonment, the trial can take place behind closed doors if the victim decides.
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