The first is a coach of the Bayonne rugby club, the second was a physical trainer there until this summer. Hearings of victims, witnesses and perpetrators are continuing around the qualification of “aggravated violence”, among other things because the attack was aimed at medical staff. Two other aggravating circumstances are added to this: the alcoholism noted among the perpetrators and the fact that the attack took place in a group. In the current state of the proceedings, the two presumed perpetrators benefit from the presumption of innocence.
The facts took place around 6:50 a.m. in the emergency department where a friend of the two men, also an employee of the sports club, had just been transported by the firefighters after a scooter accident. The two rugby players were in the waiting room and asked for access to the box where the injured man was. They were refused: the Covid protocol in force prohibits box and waiting room for accompanying persons. A discussion began with a caregiver who asked them to respect the rules recalled by a poster. Faced with the ill will of the two men, the nurse came to repeat the instructions. It was then that this 32-year-old man, a nurse but also a volunteer firefighter, was violently punched in the face and then collapsed on the ground.
Cyril Gomes during the Pro D2 final between Bayonne and Mont-de-Marsan last June.
Bertrand Lapegue
Antoine Battut then left the clinic while the police arrived and arrested Cyril Gomes. It had been difficult to retain on the scene by caregivers. The coach finally surrendered a few hours later. He was placed as his sidekick in police custody. The first elements sent to the prosecution show the alcoholism of the two detainees. The investigations and confrontations of the versions given by the authors, the victims and the witnesses continued yesterday Tuesday and today Wednesday. The two men must be brought this Wednesday evening before the prosecutor.
“Nocturnal incident” for the club
As for the rugby club, the president of Aviron Bayonnais, Philippe Tayeb, did not want to react beyond a press release entitled “A staff member involved in a night incident”.
The management says it condemns “firmly these facts”… “will take all the necessary measures”. The first paragraphs of the press release specify that “this event took place during a period of leave” “in a private context”.