French Olympic swimmer Yannick Agnel is facing trial on charges of rape and sexual assault involving the 13-year-old daughter of his former coach, as confirmed by the prosecutor general’s office in Colmar.
The Colmar appeals court’s investigative chamber has mandated that the 33-year-old stand trial due to being an adult at the time of the alleged offenses. Agnel has a window of 10 days to contest this decision at France’s highest court, the Court of Cassation.
Agnel was taken into custody in December 2021. While he acknowledged a relationship with the underage girl, he has vehemently denied any coercion.
The alleged incidents stem from 2016 when the girl was 13 and Agnel was 24, occurring in various locations such as Mulhouse, Rio de Janeiro during the Olympics, Spain, and Thailand, according to French judicial authorities.
Having secured two gold medals at the 2012 London Olympics in the 200m freestyle and 4x100m freestyle relay, Agnel retired from competitive swimming in 2016.
In line with France’s 2021 legislation, engaging in sexual activity with individuals under 15 is now categorized as rape, carrying a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, aligning the country’s laws with those of numerous other Western nations.