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It is the first time that the parents of Mehdi Narjissi, a 17-year-old French-Moroccan rugby player, have publicly addressed the disappearance of their son while training with the French U18 rugby team in South Africa.
Nearly a month after the tragic disappearance of young Mehdi, his parents are demanding answers. Speaking on Tuesday, August 27, they expressed their desire to understand who is responsible for this unfortunate event.
Mehdi, a rising star at Stade Toulousain since 2022, was swept away earlier in August by a wave as he and his teammates were leaving the water after a seaside swim at the Cape of Good Hope, according to the French Rugby Federation (FFR).
«We entrusted our 17-year-old son to them, dropping him off at the train station to go to Paris and then to South Africa with a major institution», said Mehdi's mother, referring to the French Rugby Federation.
?️? Ce mardi 27 août, les parents de Medhi Narjissi, espoir du rugby français, ont pris la parole publiquement depuis la disparition de leur fils en Afrique du Sud. Avec dignité, ils ont mis des mots sur une douleur indicible, ceux de la souffrance relative à un tel drame. pic.twitter.com/nqzoOiMRqD
— Sud Ouest (@sudouest) August 27, 2024
«We have lost our sunshine», she lamented. «They are playing with the lives of our children, and it's ours that has vanished», Mehdi's father, Jalil Narjissi, a former professional rugby player who played for Morocco, stated in the same video.
Recalling the day of the accident on August 7, he argued, «The beach is known for having four-meter waves every five seconds». «This is impossible; it was provoked; it cannot be an accident», he added.
«We have not yet recovered Mehdi physically. How can we mourn him? This is inhumane», the father continued.
«We want answers, we want to uncover who is guilty of our son's disappearance», said the saddened parents.
The parents of Mehdi have indeed filed a complaint against an unknown person, alleging their son's disappearance could be an act of negligence.
«We entrusted them with our son, he does not return; it was a mistake. I don't even understand how this mistake was made», the mother argued.
Following his disappearance, emergency services, including boats and helicopters, have been tirelessly searching for Mehdi. South African authorities believe he was swimming at Diaz Beach when strong currents pulled him into the surf. A teammate tried to help but couldn't reach him in time. Despite extensive searches by sea, air, and land, there has been no sign of Mehdi.
The French Rugby Federation has also opened an internal investigation, and the supervisors of the team who were present that day were temporarily suspended, reports TF1.
Mehdi began playing rugby at the age of five at SU Agen, where his father used to play. He joined Stade Toulousain when he was 15.
