Veteran footballer Wissam Ben Yedder and his brother — here renamed Adil Ben Yedder — have been formally referred to the départemental criminal court following charges of rape, attempted rape and sexual assault, reports Monaco-Matin.
The indictment, dated Monday, November 3, orders the 33-year-old ex-France and AS Monaco striker and his sibling to face up to 15 years’ imprisonment if convicted. The case centres on allegations by two young women who say the pair abused them during the night of July 11, 2023, beginning at a beach in Saint-Laurent-du-Var and ending in an Airbnb in Beausoleil.
Prosecutors say DNA evidence belonging to Ben Yedder was discovered on one complainant’s underwear — “which makes plausible that he rubbed his genitals against the underwear,” the indictment states.
The footballer and his brother both deny the allegations. A lawyer representing one complainant told reporters that her client “is relieved and satisfied that the facts are finally being acknowledged and that justice is taking a decisive step towards the truth.”
Ben Yedder’s legal woes are not limited to these charges — he already appealed a suspended sentence for sexual assault while intoxicated and a large fine for psychological abuse against his wife.
Both defendants remain presumed innocent and have ten days to challenge the referral to a criminal court.
