In the coach’s appeal trial, the judokas again opposed their versions this Friday. The prosecution requested a conditional sentence of one year in prison for Alain Schmitt, accused of domestic violence by his ex-girlfriend.
His release in the first instance in Bobigny, four months ago, had caused controversy. Retried on appeal, Alain Schmitt delivered his version of events again, before the Paris Court of Appeal. The two athletes presented a contradictory account of the events, which date back to the night of November 28, 2021 at the home of Margaux Pinot in Blanc-Mesnil (Seine-Saint-Denis).
Alain Schmitt, who trains the Olympic champion at the Étoile Sportive du Blanc-Mesnil club, has had a secret love affair with the judoka since 2017. To, according to him, run away from a relationship»fusional«y»destructive“, in the words of the Advocate General, Alain Schmitt accepted a position as coach of the Israel women’s national team. On the night of November 28, the former member of the France team must fly to this new life.
After an evening with friends, Alain Schmitt met around two in the morning at Margaux Pinot’s house. The couple argue and insult each other. Alain Schmitt tells a «burst«. According to him, Margaux Pinot, mad with rage and jealousy, throws herself at him. The two ex-lovers fight over rooms. According to Alain Schmitt, the bruises observed in the following days on the two protagonists are explained by hitting objects or walls during this fight. Always according to his account, neither hit the other.
A version contested by Margaux Pinot. «To bump into that place, it’s tricky anyway“, replies the judoka when the president wonders how he could end up with injuries under his eyes.”It’s the bruise that sank«, Advances on the contrary Alain Schmitt. The latter also claims that the accusations of domestic violence were “something premeditatedby Margaux Pinot to prevent their relationship from ending like this.
For her part, the judoka reports a wave of violence by her then partner. «He pulls my hair off the bed. He straddles me, hits me«, says the athlete, who explains that Alain Schmitt then»he hit his head two or three times on the groundand then tried to strangle him.
As in the first instance, the prosecution requested a conditional sentence of one year in prison for Alain Schmitt. The prosecutor also requested a ban on seeing the victim and an internship against domestic violence. «In general, what Ms. Pinot describes is largely confirmed by the medical findings“, estimated the Attorney General Olivier L’Etang, who nevertheless indicated explanations”scalable” on Both Sides.
All my life I worked normally
«It is the world of judo that is rotten. All my life I worked normally. The last six years have been very good. It’s just people who don’t accept that the girls who have their project in hand can train a little differently. And then put things on our backs every day, hit each other every day, make up stories about people… And try to give myself an image, like today, in another setting.“, Alain Schmitt reacted to the press.
At the end of 2021, the affair gave rise to a media battle between Alain Schmitt and Margaux Pinot. The judoka had posted on social media a photo of her swollen face. As for the appeal, the court’s decision will be announced on June 10.
