The parents of 17-year-old Medhi Narjissi, who disappeared on August 7 on a beach in Cape Town, South Africa, while attending a rugby camp with the France U18 team, point to the “negligence” of security staff. Devastated by grief, they are now waiting for answers from the judiciary.
Faces are livid. On their pale cheeks, tears dig a little deeper the furrows of immeasurable sadness. On this Tuesday, August 27, Valérie, Jalil and their daughter Inès Narjissi, never imagined that they were talking about Medhi, 17 years oldin the past. Here they are, in spite of themselves, propelled in front of a forest of microphones to tell their immense suffering, that of having lost a child, “our sun”, on a beach in Cape Town, in South Africa. on August 7, “by sheer negligence.” of a team of poor people!”, criticizes Valérie, Medhi's mother, during a press conference organized in Agen, in the premises of a hotel in the center of the city.
Accompanied by their lawyer Edouard Martial, the parents of the young international rugby player, three-quarter center or half-licensed scrum at Stade Toulouse and domiciled in the Lot-et-Garonnaise prefecture, want answers to this tragedy. And above all, “make sure those responsible are prosecuted and convicted,” adds Jalil, Medhi's father, a former SU Agen and Castres Olympique rugby player.
A beach known to be dangerous
The story told by Medhi's family is chilling. He points out the incredible incompetence allegedly shown by the supervisors of the French rugby union under 18 years (U18) on this famous day of August 7. That day, the group of twenty-eight players who had gone to South Africa to attend a training course were split in two: one side went to visit the lighthouse at the top of the coast, and the other side found themselves. on Dias beach considered dangerous, with the physical preparer. It's then a recovery session in the cold water while in the distance, four meter high waves crash against the black rocks.
According to Medhi's family who went to the scene and had access to the first investigation report established by the South African authorities, “eight adults were on this beach while several young people already had their feet in the beach. water”. According to Jalil, the physical trainer is even equipped with a neoprene suit, which allows him to stay warm, and a buoy.
On the other hand, “the children were in the water, wearing only their underwear,” Medhi's parents comment. Around 3:00 p.m., everything picks up. Medhi seems to be fighting the waves and current which acts like a blade. Oscar, a teammate described as an excellent swimmer, tries to catch up. In vain. Despite his efforts to bring him back to shore, Medhi, the captain of the team, disappears into the ocean, as if swallowed by a cylinder.
The trap on Dias beach has just closed. According to the parents of the young hopeful, “none of the eight adults present attempted to swim to try to save him…” From the shore, we see only one head out at sea. This is the tragedy. A few meters from the edge, one of the staff leaves to get a phone connection. Upset, he tries to contact emergency services, “we just lost one!” he exclaims, amidst the general confusion.
“Everything's Falling Down”
“At 17:59 I received a call from the president of the French Rugby Federation, I called him back,” Jalil continues, “and he told me that there had been an accident and that Medhi had been swept away. .” Everything is falling apart. Twenty days after this tragedy, Medhi's family, impressively dignified, wants answers and clearly points to the “negligence” of the U18 staff. “We entrusted our minor son to them and he never came back!”
The Agen Prosecutor's Office received a request-complaint from August 21, to investigate the causes of the disappearance. Medhi's parents were interviewed at the Agen police station on Tuesday. “They are civil parties,” says their lawyer, “and we hope that a judicial inquiry will be opened quickly so that an investigating judge can continue the investigations and conduct numerous hearings.”
So far, only the doctor, manager and physio of the French U18 team have been interviewed in South Africa. There are still many witnesses to be heard in the proceedings initiated at Agen. The investigation should enable the establishment of possible responsibilities. At this stage, FFR temporarily laid off staff members. Toulouse Stadiumclose to Medhi's parents, indicated that he would become a civil party. Bruised and devastated, the hopeful young man's family hopes for answers. “What happened should never have happened, they had no business being on this beach!”