At the coach’s appeal trial, the judokas again opposed their versions on Friday. The prosecution requested a one-year suspended prison sentence for Alain Schmitt, accused of domestic violence by his ex-girlfriend.
His release at first instance in Bobigny, four months ago, had caused controversy. Retried on appeal, Alain Schmitt again delivered his version of the facts, before the Paris Court of Appeal. The two athletes presented a contradictory account of the facts, which date back to the night of November 28, 2021 at the home of Margaux Pinot in Blanc-Mesnil (Seine-Saint-Denis).
Alain Schmitt, who trains the Olympic champion at the Étoile Sportive du Blanc-Mesnil club, has had a secret love affair with the judoka since 2017. To, according to him, flee a relationship “fusional” et “destructive“, in the words of the Advocate General, Alain Schmitt accepted a position as coach of the Israel women’s national team. On the night of November 28, the ex-member of the France team must then fly to this new life.
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Following an evening with friends, Alain Schmitt joined around two o’clock in the morning the home of Margaux Pinot. The couple argue and insult each other. Alain Schmitt recounts a “explosion“. According to him, Margaux Pinot, mad with rage and jealousy, then throws herself on him. The two ex-lovers fight through the rooms. According to Alain Schmitt, the bruises observed on the following days on the two protagonists s explained by knocks against objects or walls during this struggle.Always according to his account, neither struck the other.
A version contested by Margaux Pinot. “To bump into that place, it’s complicated all the same“, responds the judoka when the president wonders how she could end up with injuries under her eyes. “It’s the hematoma that sank“, advances on the contrary Alain Schmitt. The latter also affirms that the accusations of domestic violence were “something premeditated” by Margaux Pinot to prevent their relationship from ending like this.
For her part, the judoka recounts a surge of violence from her then companion. “He pulls my hair out of bed. He straddles, he punches me“, says the athlete, who explains that Alain Schmitt then “slammed his head two or three times on the floorand then tried to strangle him.
As in the first instance, the prosecution requested a one-year suspended prison sentence for Alain Schmitt. The prosecutor also requested a ban on seeing the victim and an internship against domestic violence. “Overall, what Ms. Pinot describes is largely confirmed by medical findings“, estimated Advocate General Olivier L’Etang, who however pointed to explanations”scalable” on both sides.
All my life I worked normally
“It’s the world of judo that is rotten. All my life I worked normally. The last six years were very good. It’s just people who don’t accept that girls who have their project in hand can train a little differently. And then put things on our backs every day, hit us every day, invent stories about people… And try to give me an image, like today, in another setting“reacted Alain Schmitt to the press.
At the end of 2021, the affair gave rise to a media battle between Alain Schmitt and Margaux Pinot. The judoka had notably published a photo of her swollen face on social networks. As for the appeal, the court’s decision will be announced on June 10.
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