For many, he is one of the faces of the old M 6 series "Caméra Café". In May, he will be the master of ceremonies for the 32nd night of the Molières. But at the same time, Bruno Solo is one of the ambassadors of the association La Voix de l'Enfant, which works in particular on cases of sexual violence of which the youngest are victims. This is how the actor was one of the confidants of former skater Sarah Abitbol, long before she dared to accuse her former coach of rapes in public. In his book "Un si long silence" (Plon), the sportswoman thanked him, he who "always encouraged him to speak".
"It's good that it all makes noise," Bruno Solo told us on the phone when we called him to make an appointment. A few days later, we found the actor to talk about Sarah Abitbol. And of his ideas to fight against the scourge that more and more sportswoman evoke.
How did you meet Sarah Abitbol?
BRUNO SOLO. It was fifteen years ago, in poker tournaments in Paris. One day, during a break, she comes to see me and tells me about my commitment to the association La Voix de l'Enfant. I ask her if she wants to get involved. She says yes. But very quickly, I guess she doesn't come to see me just to become a godmother. In the long run, we learn to spot the signs in the speech, in the attitude, the way of speaking softly. The victims who come to talk to you saying: I have a friend who was touched , we're used to it ... I say to her: Sarah, do you have something to say to me? We met several times and she told me everything.
What are you telling him?
I encourage him to talk about it. To go see her relatives and denounce what she was the victim of. She tells me that she can't do it, that she's wanted to talk about it for years but that she can't find the words ... I put her in touch with a friend of mine, who was president of his Flying French club. Sarah went to speak to him, he told her to file a complaint. She was not ready, and that did not go further. She then goes to live in Miami (United States) and I lose sight of her.
What happens then?
A few years later, she called me back to tell me that she was going to France. There, I ask him: where are you now? I thought she had settled this matter. And there, she replies that she still hasn't talked about it. And there, I yell at her, I shake her a little. I say to her: Sarah, you must do it for yourself and also for the other victims . And there, I feel that there is a click. Let her put words better on things. And for the last three-four years, I have seen her put in place her strategy to take this step until this book. I am proud because it is my job, but above all I am very proud of her because she has shown great courage.
She said she had trouble pronouncing the word rape…
With me, she managed to get this term out. When I see that the one she accuses, Gilles Beyer, speaks of "inappropriate relationships" ... What a bastard, what a junk! And he won't go to jail for that because the facts are prescribed. I hope he will live in shame now. And then, when I see the behavior of Didier Gailhaguet (Editor's note: resigned president of the FFSG) who had put him back on the federal circuit ... Ultimately, I find him more guilty. The sick or the perverted, they often want to be treated. But those who help protect them or who put on blinkers ... Cowardice is more reprehensible than perversity.
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Do you think that what she experiences is frequent in the world of sport?
I am convinced that cases like Sarah Abitbol, there are dozens and dozens. For some, sport with these young girls and young boys is an area of lawlessness and should be denounced. Obviously, we are going to come to a situation where coaches who have always been correct will be afraid that some of their actions will be misinterpreted. We will pass by there, but in the end, what matters is that those who have something to blame are afraid. Helping a young girl to climb on an asymmetrical bar in gymnastics by touching her hips does not give the right to touch her buttocks.
What should we do now?
That the coaches explain all the gestures that can be misinterpreted, but that their discipline requires, so that one or a young sportswoman does not feel uncomfortable. And that we put in place clear rules: preventing male educators from accessing a women's locker room, I don't think it will kill the clubs. Finally, we must educate young people: give them training to explain what we can say or do with girls. The important thing is that they understand that they must respect the young woman opposite. The responsibility of educators is not just telling them not to eat this or to pass in such and such a way.