Premier League star to attend court after woman 'almost blinded him' in acid attack baby kidnap plot
Brentford star Yoane Wissa is attending court this week for a trial of a woman who allegedly nearly blinded him in an acid attack in France.
Wissa was left with severe burns to his face and eyes in July 2021 and had to undergo eye surgery before joining Brentford from Lorient a month later.
Reports in France at the time said a woman had approached Wissa at his home on July 1, 2021, seeking an autograph, and returned later that evening to spray a corrosive liquid at him.
A court at Vannes, near Lorient, heard that the woman was attempting to kidnap the forward’s newborn daughter.
She is also accused of kidnapping another lady’s baby girl the following day, although the child was subsequently discovered unharmed.
If found guilty, the woman, known as Laetitia P, faces up to three decades behind bars for attempted murder, child kidnap and attempted kidnap.
Yoane Wissa is attending court after a woman allegedly nearly blinded him in an acid attack in 2021, with some of the damage to his face shown here not long after the alleged attack
Wissa was weeks away from joining Brentford and he has gone on to be one of their top stars
He scored his first Premier League goal just weeks after the attack, celebrating with a meditation pose
On July 14, 2021, Wissa posted a photo showing some of the damage to his face with the message: ‘God is great.
‘Thank you for all your messages of support, it goes straight to my heart. I’m better, we’re working for a good recovery.’
Wissa made a good recovery indeed and in September 2021 he scored his first goal for Brentford with a late equaliser against Liverpool, celebrating with a meditation gesture.
He has since established himself as one of the London club’s best players and has scored 11 goals in 18 Premier League games this season, one of the division’s best records.
His lawyer, Karim Morand-Lahouazi, said: ‘Yoane is still suffering the after-effects of this attempted kidnap and attack.
‘He has done everything since then to show that he is fine.
‘He is also trying to perform to the best of his ability in his everyday job.
‘And nowadays he and his wife feel secure in England. They feel they are safe from danger.
‘Thankfully he did not lose his eyesight, and it was only thanks to his reaction that his daughter was not taken away.
‘He was signed off work for 10 days, but you don’t just go back into training on day 11.
‘He needed a significant time to recover. Things were not easy for him at the start of this matter.
‘He will attend the trial on two days.’
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