Gilles Beyer, accused by skater Sarah Abitbol of rape and sexual assault, said he had had “inappropriate intimate” relations with her.
Ex-trainer accused of rape and sexual assault by Sarah Abitbol, Gilles Beyer, conceded on Friday having had “intimate” and “inappropriate” relations with her, saying “sincerely sorry” and offering her “apologies”, while evoking different memories, in a written declaration sent to AFP.
“I admit having had intimate relationships with her. If my memories of their exact circumstances differ from his, I am aware that, given my duties and his age at the time, these relationships were in any event inappropriate, “said Gilles Beye in particular, accused by Sarah Abitbol over a period from 1990 to 1992, when she was 15 to 17 years old.
Raped and sexually assaulted for two years
Asked by AFP about the precise nature of these relationships, he declined to comment further.
“It is, therefore, a fault, of which I did not measure the harm it may have caused him (…) I am sincerely sorry and I apologize to Sarah Abitbol”, adds the former champion of France of figure skating (1978), aged 62, in him “(wishing) to be able to find a peaceful life”.
“Even if I understand it, I regret that she has not spoken to me during all these years since we have regularly crossed paths without at any time I can perceive the depth of her injuries.”
He does not exclude from “(s) ‘expressing on (his) version of the facts”.
In a book published on Thursday (“Un si long silence”, Plon), Sarah Abitbol, European multi-medalist and world bronze medalist in the couple skating in 2000 accuses her of having raped and sexually assaulted her between 1990 and 1992, the first time during a youth internship in La Roche-sur-Yon. After his skating career, Gilles Beyer was notably director of the French teams within the French federation of ice sports (FFSG) and national trainer.
TÉMOIGNAGE – Sarah Abitbol, ancienne championne de patinage artistique, raconte les agressions sexuelles et viols dont elle a été victime de la part de son entraîneur quand elle avait 15 à 17 ans : “Je dormais avec mes peluches et il me réveillait avec sa lampe torche” #le79Inter pic.twitter.com/t4oGniIvns
— France Inter (@franceinter) January 30, 2020
