A 28-year-old handball coach has been sentenced to two years in prison, but the sentence includes a conditional suspension, meaning he will not serve the full time unless he violates the conditions. The court also imposed a permanent ban on working with minors and required him to register in France’s national sexual offender registry, known as FIJAIS. If he fails to comply with the conditions, he will serve one year in prison. The incidents took place between February 2024 and May 2025 at a local handball club in Gond-Pontouvre, Charente. The defendant, who had no prior criminal record but had been expelled from high school for making inappropriate sexual remarks, admitted to the charges during the trial. The coach was found guilty of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old player with whom he had a relationship. The case came to light after the teenager’s mother discovered messages on her daughter’s phone. The victim told investigators that she had not refused the relationship, though prosecutors argued that she was psychologically vulnerable and under the coach’s control. Prosecutor David Arnault cited a psychiatric evaluation that suggested the coach exploited this vulnerability. The coach had previously been expelled from the French Handball Federation for similar behavior. The coach’s lawyer, Camille Carvalho, contested the idea of control, arguing that her client suffers from emotional immaturity and depression. She emphasized that he had not intended to harm the victim and that the relationship was consensual. However, the court did not accept this defense, emphasizing the power imbalance and the coach’s responsibility as an adult in a position of authority over a minor. The case has raised concerns about the protection of young athletes in sports environments and the need for stricter oversight of coaches and trainers.