A case of sexist violence against an Olympic judo champion shocks France: "What was missing, death, perhaps?"

The world of French judo showed its dismay on Wednesday after the case of sexist violence suffered by the Olympic champion Margaux Pinot, who denounced her partner, the former judoka and former coach of the French women's team

, acquitted for lack of evidence .

The reported aggression took place on Saturday night and the acquittal was pronounced on Tuesday by the

, which said it did not have sufficient evidence to prove his guilt.

That failure caused Pinot, a medalist in Tokyo with the mixed team of France, to publish an explanation of what happened on social networks and post a photo of him with a numb face and traces of blood.

The 27-year-old judoka complained that the "slanderous defense" of her partner had been above his injuries and "the blood on the floor of the apartment."

"What has been missing, death, perhaps? Judo is probably what saved me. I think of those who cannot say the same," he said on Twitter.

See this post on Instagram

Well-known French judokas also used the networks to transmit a common message of support and denounce the court's decision, which has been appealed by the prosecution. Among them, the also Olympic champion

, a legend in the country: "What must be done so that the victims are heard? Every day women, children or the most vulnerable face violence, whether physical or moral. It is intolerable. "

In that message, also published by other members of the France team, such as

or

, it is emphasized that the fight against gender violence must become a priority.

"We must better accompany and protect the victims ... It is a matter of life and death," added Riner, who shared Pinot's photo and stressed that "everyone is deeply affected by what his partner just suffered."

"I'm sick of slander"

At the same time, Schmitt asked in an interview in the sports daily L'Équipe that the court decision be respected.

"I am fed up with the slander. I thought that once justice was pronounced they would leave me alone. (...) I receive messages of intimidation, death threats," said the athlete, who this month announced that he had accepted a position as coach of the Israeli women's team and on the night of the events she was about to travel to that country.

L'Équipe published a photo of him with a black eye and this highlighted that the relationship with Pinot was "quite complicated": "He does not know how to control his emotions," he said in that newspaper, while in the audience, according to 'Ouest France' He noted that he had never hit a woman.

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