Rugby player’s parents are “devastated” and demand “answers and culprits”

Three weeks after the young rugby player disappeared at sea in South Africa, his parents held a press conference on Tuesday.

Three weeks after the disappearance of Medhi Narjissi, swept away by strong currents on a beach in South Africa, his family spoke out for the first time at a press conference on Tuesday, August 27. His parents, Jalil and Valérie, called for “answers“, And “the guilty“. After being questioned at the Agen police station (Lot-et-Garonne), the parents of the young 17-year-old player, accompanied by their daughter Inès, said “destroyed” And “devastated”.

“We entrusted them with our minor child, we trusted them. (…) We want answers, we want those responsible“, said Medhi Narjissi’s mother. The Stade Toulousain player, trained in Agen, was swept away while he was taking part in a recovery session on Dias Beach, near the Cape of Good Hope. A teammate, Oscar Potez, tried in vain to rescue him.

“This is not an accident, it was provoked. They played with the lives of our children“, accused Jalil Narjissi, the father of Medhi, a former professional rugby player.It was the French team’s physical trainer who made the decision to take them there. It’s incomprehensible“, he said, castigating a framework “catastrophic” Or “no adult reacted” when Medhi was taken away.

“Oscar is the only one who had the balls to go there. He’s a hero to us, even if it didn’t bring Medhi back. There was no action by the management to go and get the two kids.”

Jalil Narjissi, father of Medhi Narjissi

at a press conference

The family went to the scene and had access to the first statements from the French team management collected by South African investigators.It is one of the most dangerous beaches in South Africa, with huge waves.“, argued Jalil Narjissi. Last week, the family’s lawyer contacted the Agen public prosecutor’s office with a view to obtaining the opening of proceedings in order to “to look for the causes of the disappearance”Medhi Narjissi’s parents have joined the case as a civil party, according to their lawyer, Edouard Martial.

“The President of the FFR [Florian Grill]I only had him on the phone once“, lamented Jalil Narjissi.We would have liked to see him with us in South Africa. He travels for other business, but for the memory of our son, he does not travel.”he concluded.