Overview

• Yannick Agnel, a double Olympic champion, has been referred to the Haut-Rhin criminal court for alleged rape and sexual assault of a minor under 15 years old.
• The charges stem from a relationship in 2016 between Agnel, then 24, and his coach’s 13-year-old daughter, which he claims was consensual and loving.
• Under French law, any sexual act with a child under 15 is classified as rape due to presumed moral coercion, regardless of claimed consent.
• Agnel's legal team has announced an appeal of the referral, while he remains under judicial supervision and presumed innocent.
• The case is part of a broader reckoning with historical abuse in sports, highlighting issues of power dynamics, consent, and institutional accountability.