Disgraced France forward handed suspended prison sentence for domestic violence conviction

France prop Wilfrid Hounkpatin has been handed a suspended prison sentence after he was convicted of domestic violence.

The 32-year-old, who earned one cap for Les Bleus in 2021, was charged in January after being accused of attacking his partner.

Hounkpatin appeared in court on Wednesday and was found guilty of domestic violence, which resulted in twelve months in prison with a two-year probationary suspension.

That means the Castres prop must not reoffend or break the terms of his probation during that time period, or else he will likely be sent to prison.

Terms of probation

Under the terms laid out by the judge, Hounkpatin is prohibited from visiting the home of his ex-partner but will be able to see her as part of the care of the children.

He must also take a course on intra-family violence and not carry weapons.

Public prosecutor Claire-Marie de Agostini stated that someone who “must be able to respect the rules on a rugby field must also be able to respect the rules at home.”

The case revealed that Hounkpatin got angry after the victim grabbed his phone and had found out that he had been having an affair.

“I knew he had been cheating on me for several years. But I thought he had stopped. I had forgiven him. When I checked the phone, I was taken aback,” she said.

Former All Black faces trial over domestic violence accusations

The victim locked herself in the bedroom, but the Castres player forced it open by shattering the lock with a kick.

Hounkpatin then, in his own words, grabbed her by the “lower neck”, lifted her up and slammed her onto the box spring, which did not have a mattress on due to the fact that the room was being renovated.

“I try to control my strength as best as I can. I just wanted to get her under control, get my phone and leave,” he said.

It was the first time physical violence had been enacted against the victim but, according to the prosecutors, it followed years of psychological abuse.

Success and the money that accompanied Hounkpatin’s rise up the French rugby pyramid was seen as an attributing factor in his personality change.

“Everything was going well at the start of our relationship, when he played in a small club (Rouen) and he earned less money. We had a small apartment, everything was fine,” the victim said.

“Really the notoriety didn’t help him. Deep down I don’t want to burden him. I think he wasn’t well. We weren’t well.”

‘Pieces of meat’

In his defence, the prop claimed that he was “emotionally fatigued” at the time of the attack due to the demands of playing professional rugby.

“Rugby is a magnificent sport but when you approach the professional world it’s tough. We are used, we are pieces of meat. Rugby takes you, it chews you up and it spits you out,” he said.

“I wanted to protect my family and offer my children the youth that I did not have.”

Hounkpatin states that he is looking to regain control of his life, saying: “I have learned to detach myself from my professional activity recently. It is really important that I think of me and my well-being.”

He also hopes “to move forward together for the children”, before adding: “Our life as a couple is over but we still have our life as parents.”

The front-rower’s club, Castres, have yet to comment on the matter since the conviction was made.

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