suspected child pornography
French handball legend arrested
The handball nation France is shaken by a scandal. The league boss and former national goalkeeper Bruno Martini (52) is arrested on Monday morning, the allegations against him are steep.
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Bruno Martini, President of the French Handball League, was arrested and given a one-year suspended sentence.
The Handball World Championship in Poland and Sweden is nearing the decision, the six-time title holder France is in the semifinals after a 35:28 victory over Germany. At home, however, a tangible scandal made headlines at the same time.
Bruno Martini, President of the French Handball League, was arrested on Monday morning. According to «France Info», action is being taken against the 52-year-old on suspicion of abusing minors and possessing child pornography recordings. The investigations have been going on for two years.
Association sharply condemns Martini
The shock in France is great. “Like everyone, I am deeply shocked by this information that the judiciary has taken up,” tweeted Sports Minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra (44). The handball association said on Wednesday: “We were amazed to learn of the serious facts that Bruno Martini is accused of, which he apparently recognizes and has nothing to do with sport.”
The association initiated disciplinary proceedings and immediately asked Martini to resign. The 202-time ex-national goalkeeper immediately complied with this call.
Martini admits contact with minors
On Tuesday evening, the former world-class goalie (1995 and 2001 world champion with France) was brought before the court, where he admitted to having had “intimate contact” with teenagers.
The 1.97 meter man admitted that he had written to a 13-year-old on the Internet, among other things. In the summer of 2020, the young person finally filed a complaint. Martini asked him to send him videos of a sexual nature. However, the ex-handball player thought that the youngster was 15 or 16 years old, as his lawyer told the French portal.
Martini was sentenced to a one-year suspended sentence, 2,500 euros and a five-year ban from playing professional handball. (che)
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