A French appellate court has quashed a prior decision that would have resulted in former France international Wissam Ben Yedder facing trial for rape-related offences, citing insufficient evidence to move forward with the case.
According to judicial sources, the Aix-en-Provence court concluded there was "no basis for prosecuting him," thereby overturning an earlier indictment from prosecutors in Nice, who had aimed to bring charges of rape, attempted rape, and sexual assault against him.
Following the ruling, Ben Yedder's attorney, Sophia Kerbaa, expressed immense satisfaction with the outcome, stating, "My client has always maintained his innocence."
The 35-year-old forward and his brother Sabri found themselves under formal investigation in 2023 after two teenage women alleged they were victims of crimes during an incident at a party. Before this appeal court judgement, both Ben Yedder and his brother had been slated to face trial.
In recent years, the ex-AS Monaco and Sevilla FC player has encountered several legal issues. In September 2023, a court in Nice imposed a €90,000 fine on him for psychological abuse against his wife, from whom he is in the process of obtaining a divorce. Additionally, he was found guilty of tax fraud in Spain during his tenure at Sevilla in 2023. He is also contesting a two- year suspended sentence he received in France in 2024 for an unrelated sexual violence case.
Following his exit from Monaco in 2024, Ben Yedder briefly played in Iran and Turkey before joining the Moroccan club Wydad Casablanca in January.
This latest news arrives amid ongoing legal challenges facing other well-known footballers, including Achraf Hakimi from Paris Saint-Germain and former Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey, who are also involved in their own rape- related legal matters in France and England.
Comments (0)
You must be logged in to comment.
Be the first to comment on this article!