Handball: sentenced for corruption on a minor, Bruno Martini resigned from the presidency of the League

In the wake of his one-year suspended prison sentence for corruption of a minor, Bruno Martini resigned, this Wednesday, January 25, from his post as president of the National Handball League. David Tebib, who was vice-president, was appointed, this Thursday, January 26, interim president.

The outcome was inevitable. In the wake of his sentence, this Wednesday, to a one-year suspended prison sentence for corruption of a minor, Bruno Martini resigned “with immediate effect” from his post as president of the National Handball League, which he had held since the end of 2021 And meeting this Thursday morning, the NHL’s steering committee appointed David Tebib to act as interim until the next general meeting scheduled for March 7.

Former president of the Nîmes club, David Tebib was until now the vice-president of the body and has already held the position of president before the appointment of Bruno Martini between August 2020 and November 2021.

Bruno MARTINI today presented his resignation from the post of president of the National Handball League, with immediate effect.https://t.co/ZdwNQ3vmKi pic.twitter.com/hGrQs67oBO

– National Handball League (@LNHofficiel) January 25, 2023

Before submitting his resignation, the former goalkeeper of the France team, world champion in 1995 and 2001, had accepted a 12-month suspended prison sentence and a fine of 2,500 euros for “corruption of a minor” and “recording of child pornography images”. A sanction which is accompanied by a five-year ban on exercising an activity involving contact with minors.

Bruno Martini was the target of an investigation opened in June 2020 by the Paris prosecutor’s office after a complaint filed by a 13-year-old teenager. The former handball player would have approached the young boy on social networks under a pseudonym, exchanging with him several selfies and videos of a sexual nature. The 52-year-old man would then have offered the teenager an appointment at his Parisian home, to which the latter would not have gone. After several months of investigations, investigators from the minors protection brigade managed to trace Bruno Martini, who was finally placed in police custody on January 23 in Paris.

He was then referred Tuesday evening for a “probable appearance for prior admission of guilt”, after the lifting of his police custody. At this stage, investigators are not aware of any other victims, apart from the 13-year-old, according to a source familiar with the matter.