Rugby coach convicted of sexual assault against two minors in Petit-Bourg
A rugby coach in Petit-Bourg has been sentenced to one year of imprisonment with electronic monitoring for sexual assault against two underage girls.
Rugby coach found guilty of sexual assault against two minors
Bruno Escarpe, a rugby coach in Petit-Bourg, was sentenced on Thursday 3 September by the Pointe-à-Pitre district court to one year of imprisonment with electronic monitoring for sexual assault committed against two minors, according to rci.fm.
The court also imposed three years of socio-judicial monitoring and a prohibition on all contact with the two victims as well as with any other minor. The conviction results in the accused being registered on the national file of sexual offenders (FIJAIS).
Two offences separated by ten years
The first victim was 10 years old when the incident occurred, on 14 February 2011. That evening, Bruno Escarpe, then aged 47, attended an aperitif with friends. He left the group on several occasions, claiming he needed to use the toilet, and went to the toilets adjoining the bedroom where children were sleeping. According to the girl, he forced her to perform intimate caresses before attempting to undress her. Pretending to be asleep, she suffered deep trauma which led her to leave Guadeloupe for mainland France and undergo several years of therapy.
The second victim, aged 15 in 2021, reportedly also suffered touching by the defendant.
Six hours of proceedings, persistent tensions
The hearing lasted six hours and took place without a request for a closed session, so that the facts could be exposed publicly. It was marked by numerous sobs and persistent tensions throughout the proceedings.
Bruno Escarpe, father of two daughters and long-married, categorically denied the allegations. Regarding the first complainant, he invoked the revenge of a rejected child; regarding the second, he claimed they were merely sports massage gestures.
The magistrates rejected these arguments, highlighting the similarity of the accusations made by two victims who did not know each other and had never conferred with one another. The prosecution emphasised a body of consistent evidence as well as the persistent psychological trauma of the civil parties.
"We were right to trust in justice"
At the end of the hearing, the father of the first victim testified to fifteen years of legal and family struggle. "It was very difficult, as parents, to think that we might not have done what was necessary to protect our daughter," he stated. "For our daughter's mental health, it was essential to leave Guadeloupe, even though we had a peaceful and well-established life there."
He also revealed that he had considered taking justice into his own hands: "I knew full well that I had thought about taking justice into my own hands, and I did not know what my reaction would have been if I came to cross paths with him." Before concluding: "The essential thing was to be recognised as victims. We were right to trust in justice."
Source: Google News GP — Crime