In addition to his 12-month suspended prison sentence yesterday, will US Fijian third row Dax Ratu Nacika be sanctioned by his club? According to the president of US Dax, Benjamin Gufflet this Friday at France Bleu Gascogne, “an internal disciplinary procedure is underway“. However, Benjamin Gufflet does not comment beyond these few words: “US Dax takes note of the court's decision, whose mission is to sanction, repair and guarantee public tranquility for the future. The club will not make any further comment as an internal disciplinary procedure is underway.“.
12 months suspended prison sentence
The Fijian third line of the US Dax, Ratu Nacika, was sentenced this Thursday by the Dax court for sexual assault on two employees of two different bars on the Place de la Fontaine-Chaude in Dax (Chez Sophie and le Txupinazo) , violence against a customer and damage to the door of one of the bars.
Ratu Nacika, 27, was the first to be tried this Thursday in the case of this far too drunken evening from the night of Saturday November 2 to Sunday November 3 last year in the bars of Fontaine-Chaude in Dax. The other player also concerned, Jope Naseara, will be judged next May.
This Thursday at the Dax court, at the end of a trial lasting almost 2.5 hours, the president of the hearing pronounced what she called “a warning sentence for an isolated evening in a life journey“. Ratu Nacika was therefore sentenced to a one-year suspended prison sentence and banned from going for three years to the two bars where the victims work, as well as from coming into contact with them.
The defense pleaded for acquittal
“Today I ask you to judge the man, not the professional rugby player“, pleaded Maître Nathalie Brethous. Fijian player's lawyer requests releasebelieving that there was in the file, “which will not please the civil parties“, only testimonies, no physical evidence.”An accusation proves nothing“, launched the lawyer in response to the prosecution, who explained that the victims had nothing to gain by accusing the player.
Release requested and yet, the Fijian colossus, sometimes wiping a tear on the stand, apologizes… apologizes for what he did… while explaining that he did not know what he had done, a victim of amnesia that evening because of the alcohol consumed in very large quantities. When the translator leans over the rugby player, almost 2 meters tall and weighing 120 kilos, to try to extract some answers from him in the face of the court's questions, which do not spare him, it is in a whisper that Ratu Nacika responds in English: “I don't know… I don't remember and I don't recognize myself in what I did. I'm sorry, I'm ashamed.”
The testimonies of the victims in the proceedings describe him that night as “scary, impressive“, this Thursday at the court bar, Ratu Nacika has his hands crossed in front of him, a bit like a little boy who is being scolded, his head bowed.
But that night of November 3, the player was nothing like a little boy. “I had never drunk so much“, raconte Ratu Nacika. “This is an aggravating circumstance, it does not excuse anything“, recalls the court.
“Uncontrollable”
The victims accuse. A first waitress to have been made touching the buttocks and breastanother in another bar, which he rubbed against her buttocks in an explicitly sexual gesture before insulting and yelling at her. A customer filed a complaint about a big slap in the jaw received from the colossus. “He had rage in his eyes“, says the latter. And all the testimonies collected by the investigators describe scenes of chaos and two players, Ratu Nacika and Jope Naseara, completely unleashed, uncontrollable that evening, urinating in a bar, even fighting among themselves .
“I’m very scared”
During the study of Ratu Nacika's personality by the magistrates during the debates, it was first noted that the player did not no criminal record. « You are not afraid that if you are convicted, it will impact your career? », Asks the court to the player. “ Yes, I'm very afraid », replies the rugby player. “ Has your club ever taken professional sanctions against you? », Continues the president of the audience. “ Non », replies the Fijian.
A lack of sanction which angers Maître Catherine Laforêt, the lawyer of one of the waitresses attacked: “ I find this unacceptable. I consider this to be an implicit validation of the behavior. They remain the gods of the stadium, obviously, they have the right to do everything. » In the courtroom this Thursday, only Jeff Dubois, the sports manager of US Dax, made the trip.
As indicated above, Benjamin Gufflet affirms that an internal disciplinary procedure is underway. When the players were taken into custody, he said: “Dthe outcome will depend in particular on the seriousness of the facts established and the ability of its employees to amend. » Although the date of delivery of this disciplinary procedure has not been communicated, the club has, however, committed “ the creation of a risk prevention program for players », the first workshops of which should begin by the end of this month of November.
Leaving the court this Thursday evening, Maître Nathalie Clément, counsel for one of the victims of sexual assault, spoke “ a fair sentence for my clientin particular with the ban on the player returning to the bars concerned “. The rugby player's lawyer, Maître Brethous, who pleaded for acquittal, explained that she and her client were leaving themselves a little time, until next week, to consider a possible appeal of the decision.
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