Former Ivory Coast national football team striker Aboulaye Traore has been sentenced to three years in prison after being convicted of rape, according to an Ivorian women’s rights organisation.
In a statement, the Ivorian League for Women’s Rights said a court in Bouaké delivered the verdict on Wednesday, describing the ruling as a “significant advance in the fight against impunity for sexual and gender-based violence.”
The court also ordered Traore, popularly known as Ben Badi, to pay 15 million CFA francs (about $26,700) in damages to the victim and imposed a five-year ban on his presence in the central region.
A judicial source confirmed that the conviction relates to a March 2021 incident involving non-consensual sexual relations with a 21-year-old woman.
Traore, a member of Ivory Coast’s 1992 Africa Cup of Nations-winning squad, remains a well-known figure in the country. During his playing career, he starred for ASEC Mimosas and also featured for European sides including FC Metz and SC Braga.
