‘I was raped 400 times’: French tennis star Angelique Cauchy reveals hell she endured at the hands of her coach when she was 12 – and how he convinced her she had AIDS until she was 18

French tennis star Angelique Cauchy has revealed how age 12 she was raped a whole lot of occasions by her coach, who additionally satisfied her she had AIDS till she was 18. 

Testifying in French parliament, the previous tennis participant advised of her horrifying ordeal with coach Andrew Geddes, who in 2021 was sentenced to 18 years behind bars for the rape and sexual assault of 4 younger ladies aged between 12 and 17.

Throughout his trial the courtroom was advised of the 55-year-old’s brutal sexual abuse – which he typically recorded with out permission – at his dwelling, in his automobile or on the tennis membership. 

Ms Cauchy, now 36, started working with Geddes at Sarcelles Tennis Membership, Paris, in 1999 when she was 12 and France’s second junior participant. 

Inside just a few months he took benefit of her innocence, telling her: ‘You already know it occurs typically in relationships between coach and scholar, we spend a variety of time collectively, it is regular.’

What began out as Geddes taking her see Paris Saint-Germain FC play at their dwelling floor, the connection rapidly turned abusive and over two years, Ms Cauchy stated he raped her 400 occasions. 

In harrowing element she then advised the Palais Bourbon how he raped her 3 times a day throughout a two-week interval at a coaching camp.

‘I lived the worst two weeks of my life. I assumed many occasions about committing suicide. He raped me 3 times a day. The primary night time he requested me to go to his room and I did not do it, then he got here into mine. I used to be in jail,’ she stated.

She described how he had manipulated her a lot that she began to voluntarily go to his room at night time. 

‘The evenings after, it appears loopy, however I went there by myself, and I took these 13 steps that separated me from his room,’ she defined. 

Geddes then went on to emotionally manipulate and gaslight Ms Cauchy, convincing her that he had given her AIDS. 

‘He got here to inform me sooner or later: “I’ve AIDS, that is for certain, I gave it to you.” On the finish of the Nineteen Nineties, it was one thing that was a lot scarier than now, it paralysed me. I lived from 13 to 18 years previous pondering I had AIDS. However he lied to me, simply to destroy me. It was maybe much more damaging than the rape,’ she advised France Information.

To make issues even worse, when a member of the tennis membership complained of Geddes’ predatory and abusive behaviour, the membership president allegedly replied: ‘Sure, however he brings us titles.’ 

Following these revelations an inquiry was launched in July, inspecting the ‘operational failures inside sports activities federations, the sports activities motion and governance our bodies’. Following testimonies given this summer time at Le Palais Bourbon, the report is predicted to be launched in December.