GLOBAL – A court in Bayonne, France, on Tuesday, November 4, 2025, sentenced Eric Olhats, the 62-year-old former mentor of French football star Antoine Griezmann, to six years in prison for the sexual assault of minors. The verdict reverberates globally, casting a harsh light on the vulnerabilities of young athletes and placing the safeguarding policies of sports bodies, including those in Kenya, under renewed scrutiny.

Olhats, a prominent scout once credited with discovering Griezmann, was found guilty of assaulting six young footballers who were all under the age of 15. The acts occurred between 1997 and 2002, and again in 2021 and 2022, while the boys were part of the Aviron Bayonnais FC academy. The court heard testimonies describing a pattern of abuse, including inappropriate touching during car journeys and forced masturbation. In addition to the prison term, Olhats faces five years of judicial supervision, a mandatory treatment order, and is permanently banned from engaging in activities involving minors or entering sports venues. He was also ordered to pay €30,000 in damages to the plaintiffs.

French prosecutors had initially requested an eight-year sentence, highlighting the "hold" Olhats established over the teenagers in his care. This case is not Olhats' first encounter with the law; he received a one-year suspended sentence in 1991 for indecent assault on a minor. Antoine Griezmann, who was scouted by Olhats and lived with him for a period, was not among the accusers and informed investigators he neither experienced nor witnessed any abuse.

Implications for Kenyan Sport and Child Protection

While the case unfolded thousands of kilometers away, its implications are significant for Kenya, where sports academies are a major pathway for aspiring young talent. The verdict serves as a critical reminder of the urgent need for robust safeguarding measures to protect children from exploitation and abuse within these institutions.

Kenya has made legislative and policy strides in this area. The Kenya Academy of Sports (KAS) has established a "Policy for Safeguarding in Sports," which aims to create a safe environment free from harassment, harm, and abuse for all participants, particularly children and vulnerable youth. This policy framework is aligned with national laws like The Children Act (2001) and international standards such as the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. According to a 2020 KAS study, however, 35% of local sports organizations lacked any safeguarding guidelines, exposing a significant gap in protection.

The Football Kenya Federation (FKF) has also initiated safeguarding programs. In early 2024, the federation conducted sessions with the U17 Women's National Team, the Junior Starlets, to educate them on identifying and reporting emotional, sexual, and physical abuse, as well as neglect. These initiatives are part of a broader commitment to embed child protection within all levels of the sport, from grassroots academies to national teams.

Despite these efforts, challenges persist. Advocacy groups and sports stakeholders in Kenya have called for more formalized education on safe sport within school curricula and the establishment of accessible, confidential reporting mechanisms like toll-free hotlines. The case of Eric Olhats underscores the immense trust placed in coaches and mentors and the devastating consequences when that trust is betrayed. For Kenyan parents, sports federations, and government bodies, the French verdict is a cautionary tale. It reinforces that vigilance, stringent vetting of personnel, clear codes of conduct, and empowering young athletes to speak out are not optional extras but fundamental duties in nurturing the next generation of sporting talent safely and ethically.

The global football governing body, FIFA, has also been rolling out its "FIFA Guardians" safeguarding program, urging all 211 member associations, including the FKF, to implement comprehensive child protection standards. The effectiveness of these programs hinges on consistent enforcement and a cultural shift within sports organizations to prioritize athlete welfare above all else. As Kenya continues to invest in its sporting future, the lessons from Bayonne must inform a zero-tolerance approach to abuse in any form.