During this second day of hearing, the accused, the former coach of the national team, Tadjou Attada, and the complainant, the athlete Mariama Cissé, were standing in front of the president, only one meter apart. on the other. They both answered questions from the court about the details of their exchanges and the harassment of which the athlete accuses him.
A case that could serve as an example
According to Maître Francine Aka-Anghui, lawyer for Mariama Cissé, this case could serve as an example: “These coaches must stop being predators. These are young girls who are often entrusted to them, very young, who are brilliant and who, because of the actions of their coaches, see their careers shattered, their dreams shattered. This is the first time a victim has gone all the way. In general, these kinds of trials are nipped in the bud because the interventions from both sides, we are in Africa… Do you know what it is? It’s family, people are afraid.”
No harassment
If the coach does not deny his attraction and the flirting that followed, his lawyer, Maître Panfolhié Coulibaly, refutes the idea that his messages prove any sexual harassment: “He naturally fell in love, which is why there was these exchanges. In no way did he harass her. He did not make the acceptance of his advances conditional on any advantage.”
During the first hearing, on November 22, another athlete came to testify. She then accused the coach of sexual touching. After a three-quarter hour hearing on Friday, the prosecutor requested a year in prison and a fine of 500,000 francs against Tadjou Attada. The deliberation will take place on February 21.
