Sexual violence in sport: the complaint against the equestrian outfielder Jacques Ferrari dismissed
The prosecution of Saumur (Maine-et-Loire) has chosen to dismiss the accusations of sexual violence targeting the famous equestrian vaulter Jacques Ferrari without follow-up. As revealed by the Parisian in February 2020, Chloé Bega had filed a complaint for corruption of a minor, sexual assault and child pornography against her former trainer, crowned world champion in 2014. “The evidence is not sufficient for the case to be judged by a court ”, informed the public prosecutor on September 17th.
In our survey, several people around us described “sectarian conditioning” in this training center. An environment in which the teenagers under his wing would have been put in competition beyond the purely sporting field. Jacques Ferrari, 33, then assumed in Le Parisien certain debauchery practices with major athletes. He also admitted that he lacked « discernment, maturity and distance from his status as an athlete and educator. »
On the other hand, he has always denied the accusations of sexual violence brought by Chloé Bega, ten years younger than him, or his little sister Anaïs who claims to have also been touched. The two denounced pell-mell « permanent sexual remarks », « hands on the thigh in the car » or « sweet words in private then humiliating in training ».
« A relationship of too much influence »
When it learned of these accusations in 2018, the French Equestrian Federation had chosen to suspend the athlete for six months. A report by psychologists concluded that a « situation characteristic of a context conducive to abuse by the lack of clear boundaries as well as the omnipresence / omnipotence of a very charismatic person, which leads to a relationship of control. too important ”. A temporary ban on practicing with minors was also pronounced by the local prefecture at the time of the opening of the investigation.
Today, as the two sisters feared, the courts considered that they lacked concrete elements and decided to close the preliminary investigation without launching any prosecution. Jacques Ferrari says he is “destroyed” by this affair in an interview with Ouest-France and considers that “the presumption of innocence has not been respected”. According to her entourage, the complainant has not yet decided whether she wished to file an appeal.
