Former French under-21 international Hippolyte Dangbeto has been placed in pretrial detention amid an ongoing judicial investigation into alleged sexual assaults on minors, regional newspaper L’Indépendant reported. The 56-year-old former defender is suspected of carrying out assaults against two teenage girls between 2019 and 2025.
Investigation Details Two Separate Allegations in Southern France
Investigators are examining two distinct sets of accusations spanning a six-year period. The first victim, a young relative of Dangbeto, reported his actions to law enforcement. According to reporting from L’Indépendant, the former footballer has admitted to sexually assaulting this family member on multiple occasions.
The second complainant was 16 years old at the time of the alleged incidents. She is a member of a sports association that Dangbeto established in the Pyrénées-Orientales department. She accuses him of subjecting her to repeated assaults during several trips organized by the club. Dangbeto denies the allegations connected to the sports association, though he was placed under formal investigation three months prior to his recent transfer to pretrial detention.
Division 1 Career and Former Generation of French Teammates
Before his arrest, Dangbeto accumulated more than 200 appearances in French Division 1, the predecessor to modern Ligue 1. His professional career included stints with Racing Paris from 1989 to 1990, SM Caen from 1990 to 1995, Perpignan FC from 1995 to 1997, Troyes during the 1997–1998 season, and Sedan from 1998 to 1999.
At the international youth level, the former fullback earned roughly a dozen caps for the France under-21 team. During his time with the youth squad, he played alongside several players including Zinédine Zidane, Bixente Lizarazu, Emmanuel Petit, and Christophe Dugarry.
Judicial Proceedings Await Further Inquiry
With Dangbeto currently incarcerated, the inquiry remains open as magistrates and investigators work to establish the precise chronology and circumstances of the alleged offenses.
