The case is far from over. The Bobigny prosecutor’s office announced on Wednesday that it would appeal the release the day before judo coach Alain Schmitt for acts of domestic violence against Olympic champion Margaux Pinot. Believing “not to have enough evidence of guilt”, the Bobigny correctional court had released Schmitt overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday. The prosecution had requested a one-year suspended sentence for “very serious violence, even for a first-time offender”.
The 38-year-old technician was arrested on the night of Saturday to Sunday at Blanc-Mesnil (Seine-Saint-Denis) just before his departure for Israel, where he is expected to take the reins of the women’s national team.
Broken nose and bruises
According to her hearings read at the hearing, the 27-year-old sportswoman accuses her companion and trainer within the Etoile Sportive du Blanc-Mesnil club of having beaten her, pulled her hair and tried to strangle her during an altercation in the apartment of the young woman. Her calls for help alerted some neighbors, where she found refuge before the police arrived around 2:30 am. Suffering from bruises and a broken nose, she was prescribed 10 days of ITT.
During the night from Saturday to Sunday, I was the victim of an assault at my home by my companion and trainer.
I was insulted, punched,
my head was hit on the ground several times. And finally strangled. pic.twitter.com/Ghbwg8NVQy– Margaux Pinot (@ MargauxPinot2) December 1, 2021
The hearing on Tuesday was marked by conflicting versions. Alain Schmitt gave the story of a fight that looked like a “tornado” between two lovers with a tempestuous relationship. Margaux Pinot described her “fear” of the punches that were raining down on her.
“I have never hit a woman”
“It was not a judo fight, it was punches,” said Margaux Pinot, Olympic mixed team champion at the last Olympic Games in Tokyo, her face swollen with bruises surrounding her eyes. “I have never hit a woman in my life, it’s nonsense,” retorted Alain Schmitt, white T-shirt and face marked by bruises.
The individual record of Margaux Pinot, who fought in two categories (-63 and -70 kg), notably includes a world bronze medal in 2019, two titles of European champion (2019 and 2020) and two silver medals. continental (2017, 2021).
Bronze medalist at the 2013 Worlds (-81 kg), Alain Schmitt told the court to consider his departure for Israel as a “real change of life” after six years as a coach at Blanc-Mesnil where he coached athletes like Madeleine Malonga.