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Benoit Kounkoud was only a supplementary player at the European Championships in Germany
Photo: Laurent Theophil / PanoramiC / IMAGO
The French national handball player Benoit Kounkoud is suspected of attempted rape. The incident is said to have occurred two days after winning the title at the European Championships in Cologne.
The 26-year-old was temporarily arrested in Paris and was released on Wednesday after a day in custody. The investigation is continuing "to collect further witness statements," the public prosecutor's office told the AFP news agency.
Kounkoud denies the allegations
A woman accuses Kounkoud of committing the crime on Tuesday night in a nightclub in the 8th arrondissement of Paris - two days after the European Championship final victory against Denmark. "My client was released and he denies the facts," Kounkoud's lawyer Mario Stasi said in response to an AFP query.
The right winger is a teammate of German national goalkeeper Andreas Wolff at top Polish club KS Kielce. At the European Championships he did not go beyond the role of a supplementary player; he was not used in the semi-finals against Sweden and in the final.
The French handball association announced that it would “closely monitor” the further steps of the customs authorities. Kielce said the club was taking the case “seriously” and would take “appropriate measures” when official information was available.
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