This French volleyball star has been arrested in Brazil for spanking a woman on the bottom in a nightclub and he reportedly claims that “in France spanking people” on the bottom “is a normal thing”.
He reportedly added: “In France, spanking a woman’s bottom is not an aggression and not an offence.”
French volleyball player Earvin Ngapeth, 28, has been arrested on sex assault charges in the city of Belo Horizonte in the south-eastern Brazilian state of Minas Gerais after he allegedly spanked a woman on the bottom in a nightclub and she called the police.
The woman, who has not been named but who is reportedly 29 years old, was on a night out with her boyfriend and a friend. She reportedly reacted to the incident by hitting the player on the arm and calling the police, who then transferred the suspect and the woman to a police station.
He reportedly apologised to her but this was apparently not good enough. His lawyer Hugues Bouget said it was all a big “misunderstanding”.
Bouget added: “He confused, during a night out in a club, a friend of the group with whom he was with a complete stranger and made a gesture that she may have considered inappropriate.”
The press department of the police of the state of Minas Gerais reportedly stated to local media that the volleyball player confirmed the facts of the case.
However, he also reportedly stated that he had mistaken the woman for someone else, a woman who had reportedly accompanied him to the venue.
He reportedly defended himself by saying that “in France spanking people on the bottom during a volleyball match is a normal thing” and that “in France, spanking a woman’s bottom is not an aggression and not an offence.”
Ngapeth is reportedly waiting to be heard by a judge as in Brazil, suspects in sexual assault cases cannot be bailed.
Earvin Ngapeth is one of the main players of the French volleyball team. Last week, he was in Betim, on the outskirts of Belo Horizonte for the FIVB Volleyball Men’s Club World Championship with Zenit Kazan, one of the best teams in the world, who finished third place in the competition.
He is due to play a Champions League match with them in Maaseik in Belgium on Wednesday but it is currently unclear if he will be there.
Sexual assault carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison in Brazil.
To find out more about the author, editor or agency that supplied this story – please click below.
Story By: Joseph Golder, Sub-Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Golder’s News And Sport
The Ananova page is created by and dedicated to professional, independent freelance journalists. It is a place for us to showcase our work. When our news is sold to our media partners, we will include the link here.
