Gabon takes legal action to open investigation into alleged sexual assault of a trainer on hundreds of children

The Gabonese government has asked the justice to open an investigation into the alleged sexual assault of hundreds of children by the former football coach of the national Under-17 team, the Minister of Sports announced on Friday (December 17th). , describing the case as “very serious”. “Patrick Assoumou Eyi allegedly abused hundreds of young boys in the course of his duties“, thus declared to the press the Minister Franck Nguema. The affair was revealed Thursday by the British daily newspaper The Guardian.

Statement by the Gabonese Minister of Sports.

Note that even the President of the Republic intervenes publicly.

That said, Patrick Assoumou Eyi should not be used as a scapegoat. It is the tree that hides the forest of a vast network in Gabonese football

Keep the faith! pic.twitter.com/Vlu6hSV85j

– Romain Molina (@Romain_Molina) December 17, 2021

The President of the Republic Ali Bongo Ondimba, for whom “the matter is very serious and unacceptable“instructed him”to seize the Minister of Justice for the opening of a judicial investigation in the community of national football for sexual abuses having been committed against children, boys and girls“, but also “extend the survey to all national sports federations” for “eradicate potential sexual predators“.

“The alleged victims who confided in the Guardian are said to have said that they did not contact the police because they do not trust Gabonese justice “, continued Mr. Nguema.

Well known in Gabonese football circles under the sobriquet of “Capello”, Patrick Assoumou Eyi, whose name was made public by The Guardian, was the coach of the national under-17 team until 2017 and has since been Technical Director of the Estuaire football league, the province of the capital Libreville. The Gabonese Football Federation (Fégafoot) suspended him on Friday from these functions on a provisional basis and seized the Ethics Commission of the National Football League to conduct an investigation, assured Pablo Moussodji Ngoma, the media officer of Fégafoot .