A former coach of the France gymnastics center in Marseille, now closed, was sentenced Thursday to four months in prison for the moral harassment of a young gymnast, whom he had trained mainly between 2012 and 2015.
Pierre Ettel was tried in November before the Marseille criminal court after a complaint from Iness Ben Rhouma, now a student at Sciences Po after leaving the high level, who had joined the elite structure at the age of 10 years, in 2012.
During the hearing, she explained that she had suffered years of “suffering” and, supported by medical expertise, still had psychological after-effects.
“You are haughty; move your ass; move your fat; shut up ; get out of there…”, punctuated his training sessions, according to his statements.
Pierre Ettel had only recognized some of these comments, on one particular occasion, and had mentioned a “gymnast with great potential, but who had difficulty managing”.
“The verdict is satisfactory” according to the plaintiff’s lawyer
The prosecution had requested a six-month suspended prison sentence against the former coach, who was present in court for the deliberations but who did not wish to react.
“The verdict is satisfactory, Inès’ desire was really to speak freely,” declared Anne-Laure Rousset, the plaintiff’s lawyer. “These are complicated cases legally and humanly, with this fear of being considered as a liar or as a gymnast who did not necessarily have the level, and who is embittered. This will be a good step forward in its reconstruction,” she added.
The conviction comes after the conviction in May for the same charge, to six months suspended prison sentence, of the former technical director of the Marseille center, Vincent Pateau, the subject of five complaints. He was acquitted in two of these cases.
In June, following this conviction, the French Gymnastics Federation decided to close the France center in Marseille.