Allegations against Kounkoud
European champion is arrested two days after the triumph
February 1, 2024, 10:52 a.m
On Sunday Benoit Kounkoud became a European Championship hero, less than 48 hours later the French handball national player was arrested. The outside player is accused of attempted rape. The club colleague of the German national goalkeeper Andreas Wolff denies the accusation.
The French national handball player Benoit Kounkoud was accused of attempted rape a few days after the European Championship triumph in Cologne. The police in Paris temporarily arrested the 26-year-old, and after a day in custody he was released on Wednesday. The investigation is continuing “to collect further witness statements,” the prosecutor’s office told AFP.
A woman accuses Kounkoud of having committed the alleged act on Tuesday night in a nightclub in the 8th arrondissement of Paris – two days after the European Championship final victory against Denmark. As “L’ Équipe” reports, “the national player is said to have pulled down his pants while drunk and tried to sexually harass a young woman.” He was then held by a security guard and handed over to the police. “My client has been released and he denies the facts,” Kounkoud’s lawyer Mario Stasi later said in response to an AFP request.
Hardly any appearances at the European Championships
Kounkoud and his teammates only won the European Championship title on Sunday evening; in front of 20,000 spectators in Cologne, the team defeated the favorites Denmark after extra time (33:31). Kounkoud was not used in the semi-finals against Sweden and the final, and he was also not in the squad for the preliminary round win against the German team (33:30). Over the course of the tournament, Kounkoud had scored five goals in five games. On Monday, the European champions were received by French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace. Afterwards, the team apparently continued their celebrations in Paris.
The right winger has been playing together with German national goalkeeper Andreas Wolff for the Polish series champions Industria Kielce since 2022. Kielce said the club was taking the case “seriously” and would take “appropriate measures” when official information was available. The French federation also commented on the situation: the FFHandball remains “attentive to the follow-up measures taken by the judicial authorities,” it wrote, and reiterated “its determination to fight against any form of violence,” condemning “such acts when proven and regardless of the accused person, “in the strongest possible terms” and renewed “its support for all victims of violence”.