French Olympic champion Yannick Agnel must stand trial on charges of rape and sexual assault involving a 13-year-old girl. The Colmar appeals court rejected his appeal on 15 January 2026, confirming the decision. Agnel, aged 33, faces allegations from 2016 when he was 24 and the girl was 13.

The incidents allegedly occurred between 31 December 2015 and 31 August 2016 in locations including Mulhouse, France; Rio de Janeiro during the Olympics; Tenerife, Spain; and Thailand. Prosecutors indicted Agnel in December 2021 after his arrest. He admitted to a relationship but denied any coercion or control over the teenager.

France's 2021 law defines sex with a child under 15 as rape, punishable by up to 20 years in prison. This aligns the country's code with many Western nations and underscores moral duress due to age differences. The Yannick Agnel rape trial reflects heightened scrutiny on consent in such cases.

Agnel won two gold medals at the 2012 London Olympics in the 200-metre freestyle and 4x100-metre freestyle relay, plus a silver in the 4x200-metre freestyle relay. He also claimed golds at the 2013 world championships and retired after the 2016 Rio Olympics. In July 2024, Agnel met with his accuser, now in her early 20s, at his request.

Edwige Roux-Morizot, the public prosecutor at the time, stated: “The facts constitute rape and sexual assault due to the age difference, because the justice system considers that there is genuine moral duress,”