Premier League star due in court after alleged 'acid attack and kidnapping' case that forced surgery
WATCH NOW: Paul Coyte discusses the latest sport headlines January 22 2025
Brentford striker Yoane Wissa is attending court in France this week for the trial of a woman accused of throwing acid in his face and attempting to kidnap his newborn daughter in 2021.
The DR Congo forward is expected to attend the four-day trial which began on Tuesday near Lorient.
The incident left Wissa with severe burns to his face and eyes, requiring emergency surgery to save his sight.
The attack occurred just weeks before his £8.5 million transfer from French club Lorient to Brentford.
Yoane Wissa required emergency surgery to save his eyesight
PA
The court heard that the woman initially approached Wissa at his home on 1 July 2021, asking for an autograph.
She returned later that evening and sprayed a corrosive liquid in his face.
"She entered the player's home in the middle of the night and threw a corrosive liquid in my client's eyes, which could have had much more serious consequences," Wissa's lawyer Karim Morand-Lahouazi told RMC Sport.
On July 14, 2021, Wissa shared a photo showing facial injuries with the message: "God is great. Thank you for all your messages of support, it goes straight to my heart."
The accused woman, identified only as Laetitia P, faces charges of attempted murder, child kidnap and attempted kidnap.
If convicted, she could face up to 30 years in prison.
The 36-year-old denies all charges against her.
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According to Morand-Lahouazi, the woman had allegedly lied to her husband "for months" about being pregnant.
"I think that during all this time, she was developing her plan to kidnap a mixed-race child," the lawyer said.
"There is premeditation with the purchase of this corrosive product in a supermarket near my client's home."
"Yoane is still suffering the after-effects of this attempted kidnap and attack," Morand-Lahouazi told reporters.
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Yoane Wissa is due in court in France this month
PA
"Nowadays he and his wife feel secure in England. They feel they are safe from danger."
Despite the ordeal, Wissa has flourished at Brentford, becoming the club's all-time Premier League leading scorer.
He has netted 11 goals in 18 Premier League matches this season.
The striker is currently the subject of transfer interest, with Nottingham Forest reportedly having a £22m bid rejected this week.
The woman is also accused of kidnapping another baby girl the following day in Vannes, though the child was later found unharmed.
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Yoane Wissa moved to Brentford shortly after the alleged attack
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"She tried to kidnap a child from a mixed-race couple. That was her goal," Morand-Lahouazi told reporters.
The lawyer said Wissa is seeking "clearer explanations" during the trial, which he will attend for two days."
He was signed off work for 10 days, but you don't just go back into training on day 11," Morand-Lahouazi added.
"He needed a significant time to recover. Things were not easy for him at the start of this matter."
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