Former France international Wissam Ben-Yedder has been given a suspended prison sentence for sexual harassment and other offenses.
The 34-year-old received a suspended prison sentence of two years and a fine of €5,000, and his driver’s license was revoked for six months. The public prosecutor had demanded a year in prison and 18 months probation for the former captain of AS Monaco in front of the Nice court.
Ben Yedder was reported by a woman after an incident in September, and she will receive compensation of €5,000. The former professional had given her a lift and then molested her. She was able to escape and file a complaint. Ben Yedder was arrested the same evening, but he defended himself vehemently. He was charged with sexual assault, drunk driving and refusing to surrender to authorities.
Ben Yedder insists that he cannot remember the sexual assault due to his alcohol consumption. He also admitted that he has had alcohol problems for some time. “I just took refuge in alcohol, but I know that this was the biggest mistake of my life,” he said at the trial.
Not the first conflict with the law
Ben Yedder, who is now a free agent, has already been convicted of tax evasion in Spain and is also facing charges of psychological violence against his estranged wife. The 19-time national team player is also accused by another woman of raping her in the summer of 2023. The investigation in this case is still ongoing.
Ben Yedder played for Toulouse from 2010 to 2016 and then for Sevilla for three years. He joined Monaco in the summer of 2019. He won the Nations League in 2021 with the French national team.
