The suspension of skipper Kevin Escoffier accused of sexual assault has been revoked by the French Sailing Federation.
The French Sailing Federation (FFV) had fifteen days to make a decision. It took half. The body announced, in a press release on Friday 22 March, the revocation of the sanction imposed on skipper Kevin Escoffier – suspended after allegations of sexual violence – “Procedural Defect”A week earlier was raised by a conciliator of the French National Olympic and Sports Committee (CNSOF).
“The (Federation) notes that the conciliator believes that the decision of the Federal Appeals Council of the FFV is tainted by a procedural defect because the disciplinary appeals body is accused of not being sufficiently convinced of the principle of contradiction »she writes.
In his opinion, delivered on Thursday March 15, the CNOSF conciliator – contacted by the French skipper’s defense – concluded that the federation’s disciplinary body “Sufficient Guarantee of the Principle of Contradiction”, Especially because of the lack of confrontation between the navigator and his accusers. What does FFV assume? “Voluntarily Opted Out”, Argues for necessity “Protect those who have the courage to report”.
Accusation “Inappropriate Behavior” and sexually assaulting a young woman during a stopover in the stage race The Ocean Race In June 2023, in the United States, the Saint-Malo skipper was suspended from all competition for eighteen months at the end of October 2023, suspended for five years. Ten years disqualification from sports license and federation bodies. Sanction taken by National Disciplinary Commission of FFV.
Expelled from the Holcim-PRB team with which he was aiming to win the Vendée Globe – a solo round-the-world race on 18m monohulls – which starts on November 10, 2024, the Breton skipper appealed the decision. . . And his lawyer contacted CNOSF, whose conciliator delivered his opinion in mid-March, giving FFV fifteen days to review its copy.
A legal investigation is ongoing
On Friday, the French sailing governing body accepted the compromise proposal, “Although he regrets that a procedural flaw led to the revocation of the disciplinary sanction imposed on Kevin Escoffier.” While welcoming K “Considers, having regard to the preponderance of evidence brought to its attention, that FFV is justified in initiating disciplinary proceedings. »
The decision ends the disciplinary proceedings initiated against the navigator, as the federation has decided not to reopen them. First to avoid setting up a confrontation between Escoffier and those who sent the report – the decision “Fully assumed and supported by FFV”Refers to the press release, which recalls that the body depends “On the directives of the Ministry of Sports on this subject (…)”. but for “Accepting the establishment of this confrontation would not contribute to the growing and alarming confusion between the role of a representative sports federation, through its disciplinary power, and the role of the state, through its judicial, police and justice. Power »
If Kevin Escoffier’s suspension is lifted, the former 2020 Vendée Globe – he jumped into his life raft off the Cape of Good Hope before being rescued at the last minute by another competitor, Jean Le Cam – is still out. Woods’ Paris public prosecutor’s office opened a judicial investigation in July, which has since been handed over to the Lorient police station (Morbihan). And in its press release, FFV insists on it “It is now desired to conduct the case within the framework of the existing criminal procedure which is specifically based on” On the complaints of the victims.
