French Rugby Federation indicted in disappearance of Toulouse teen

The French Rugby Federation has been indicted in the case involving the disappearance at sea of 17-year-old Toulouse player Medhi Narjissi while on a junior national team tour of South Africa, but denies culpability and says it will continue to assist the investigation.

Narjissi went missing during a team outing to a Cape Town beach as France prepared for a five-nation Under-18 competition in August 2024.

The outing was later described as "poorly supervised" by an FFR report, with the players allowed to swim in the ocean despite warnings of dangerous rip currents.

FFR president Florian Grill appeared before judge Agnes Navarro in Agen on Friday, providing a four-hour testimony that ended with the organisation being indicted, meaning they can be held legally liable for Narjissi's death.

"We take note of the decision to place the FFR under formal investigation as a legal entity. This is an intermediate stage in the proceedings and in no way constitutes a declaration of guilt. This tragedy continues to shake the world of rugby," FFR lawyer Mathias Chichportich said in a statement.

"The decision to organise a recovery swim in a location dangerous for bathing is a serious mistake, but it is in no way attributable to the Federation. It is all the more incomprehensible as it was neither planned, nor authorised, nor validated.

"While it is understandable that the suffering of the Narjissi family leads them to direct their anger at the (FFR), the criminal liability of the FFR cannot be engaged. This decision is therefore open to legal challenge.

"The FFR will continue, as it has done from the outset, to cooperate fully with the justice system, in full respect of the procedure."

The teenager had recently signed for Top 14 side Toulouse and was the son of former Morocco men's captain Jalil Narjissi.