The disappearance at sea of Medhi Narjissi on August 7 in South Africa turned into an internal war within the FFR. In an internal investigation report whose conclusions were made public on September 12, the Federation highlighted the responsibility of the staff of the France team, in particular Stéphane Cambos, manager of the U18s, and Robin Ladauge, physical trainer.
Stéphane Cambos was quick to counterattack. As announced by Sud-Ouest, the technician, suspended from his duties, decided to file a complaint against the FFR for slanderous denunciation. According to him, he was not at the origin of the outing off Dias Beach which turned into a nightmare. Cambos also charges Ladauge, who would have taken the initiative alone.
“Stéphane Cambos never took his young people to the beach,” says his lawyer, Me Arnaud Dupin, in the daily Sud-Ouest. This truth does not appear anywhere. However, it was when he saw that swimming was being organized without his knowledge that he went down to the beach. It is at this moment that the physical trainer (Robin Ladauge) and those who were around stopped the session. (…) If the swimming stops when Stéphane Cambos intervenes, it is because he does not agree with what is happening. »
The lawyer also mentions the false lawsuit he claims was brought against his client for not having jumped into the water to try to save the teenager from certain drowning.
“This report is insignificant and scandalous”
“Either you are a lifeguard with the appropriate equipment, or you do like Stéphane Cambos and you rush to go to the first aid station and sound the alert,” continues Me Dupin. Stéphane Cambos’ statements have been completely ignored. This report (of the FFR) is indigent and scandalous (…) In its report, the FFR questions the conditions of organization of this session while indicating that Stéphane Cambos was aware of the dangers of Dias Beach. This amounts to designating him responsible for the disappearance of Medhi Narjissi. This is called an execution. »
For Me Dupin, weights and measures vary at the FFR depending on the cases. “Today, we are sacrificing a man, pillorying him, we are burdening him with all the evils,” he laments. We note that Florian Grill, the president of the FFR, recalled during his trip to Argentina this summer (for the Auradou-Jegou affair) a fundamental principle of our law which is the presumption of innocence. Obviously, here, regarding Stéphane Cambos, he has forgotten it. However, it is not up to the president of the FFR to assert justice (…) In fact, this investigation is not one. A child has disappeared. His family is waiting for the truth and it is not a sum of lies that makes the truth. We see this through the FFR report which does not address angry subjects. »