Paris prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation following accusations from retired figure skater Sarah Abitbol that she was raped by a coach.
Abitbol is a 10-time French champion and won a bronze medal in the pairs’ competition at the 2000 World Figure Skating Championships.
In a book published last week, she accused her former coach, Gilles Beyer, of raping her from 1990 to 1992, when she was a teenager.
Photo: EPA-EFE
The Associated Press does not normally name sexual assault victims, but Abitbol has written and spoken about her experience.
Paris prosecutor Remy Heitz said in a statement on Tuesday that the police unit in charge of protecting minors would also try to identify other possible victims in the skating world.
Beyer and two other coaches have been accused of sexual abuse by other former athletes.
“I’m relieved. Speaking out at last is bearing fruit,” the 44-year-old Abitbol told BFM TV.
Urging other victims to contact her, Abitbol said that she did not file a lawsuit earlier because she did not dare speak at the time.
Beyer last week said that he had “intimate” and “inappropriate” relations with Abitbol.
“We were afraid,” Abitbol said. “We didn’t dare... Now, people are starting to listen to women.”
Abitbol’s book and a series of stories investigating sexual abuse in sports published last week by L’Equipe newspaper have triggered strong reaction from sports officials.
On Monday, French Ice Sports Federation president Didier Gailhaguet was asked to resign by French Minister of Sports Roxana Maracineanu.
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