Sex in Gabon: Football coach arrested for sexual abuse of under-age boys

Sex in Gabon: Football coach arrested for sexually abusing under-age boys

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Sex in Gabon

A Gabonese football coach is facing accusations of allegedly sexually assaulting hundreds of children.

Patrick Assoumou Eyi,  the former Gabonese football coach of the national under-17 team, has been arrested by police to face charges of pedophilia.

Assoumou, known as “Capello” was arrested on Monday in Ntoum”, about 40 km from the capital Libreville and “he is currently in the hands of the police according to police, Africa News reported.

“It’s been many years that we have been talking about it. I was still very young, I think when I was playing as a junior cadet, we were already talking about it, so it’s not a new case in the Gabonese sports circles.

Abused hundreds of young boys

Patrick Assoumou Eyi

On Friday, Sports Minister Franck Nguema said Patrick Assoumou Eyi “might have abused hundreds of young boys in the course of his duties”.

Also Read: Gabon now gears to decriminalize homosexuality

The case was first reported on Thursday by the British daily ‘The Guardian’.

“Indeed, it is worrying, it is disturbing and we wonder if we should continue to play football in our country. Well, we believe that besides these kinds of cases, there are still people who have good morals,” said Aurel Mabika, the father of a player of Bethel Academie.

The Gabonese football federation (Fégafoot) suspended Mr. Eyi from his duties on Friday and referred him to the ethics committee of the national football league for investigation.

The government is to hold a judicial investigation into possible sexual abuse against children and young people in all sports in the country after the president, Ali Bongo, described the claims as “a very serious matter”.

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