The Caen court sentenced director Andréa Bescond on Thursday (7 September) to a fine and damages for defamation against an athlete placed in police custody for sexual assault, sources agree.
On December 20, 2022, Andréa Bescond wrote in one of hers «Post noir» where he denounces men’s violence against women on social networks: “You are Wilfried Happio. You are a professional athlete. You are in police custody accused of sexual assault. We can start the rapist athletes club. »
For this publication the author of the piece Tickling or the dance of anger was fined “2,000 euros suspended, 1,500 euros in damages and reimbursement of legal expenses”, his lawyer, Marie Grimaud, told Agence France-Presse. You said that an appeal will be filed in the next few days.
Mr Happio’s lawyer, Anthony Mottais, said this “satisfied with this opinion”. “It doesn’t matter the fault of Mr.Myself Bescond, remember above all that justice does not go on social media with peremptory statements, in this case that Mr. Happio is a rapist when he has never been brought to court”He said.
“Moral Lesson”
MMyself Grimaud understands this decision “not as a fault of defamation but as a condemnation of the “black posts”” of his client. Debates have “he was very focused on his personality, on his other roles, on his vision of justice, it is a moral lesson on the excellence of the work that justice can do”she said.
“As a specialized lawyer, I am shocked by the amount of compensation of 1,500 euros, which is usually what is recognized as moral damage to parents of minor victims of sexual violence”she added.
The complaint filed at the end of June 2022 by an international athlete who had targeted Wilfried Happio, a 400 meter hurdles specialist and medal hope at the Paris Olympic Games in 2024, was dismissed in June 2023.
The complainant reported the contact which took place in September 2021 to the National Institute of Sport, Competence and Performance (Insep), which had not sanctioned Mr Happio following an internal investigation. He himself filed the complaint after being hit in the face on 25 June 2022 in Caen during the French athletics championships by the complainant’s brother.
