The identity of the cyclist filmed knocking over a five-year-old girl on a snowy path has been revealed as Jacques Davenne, the president of a local cycling club.
The incident took place on Christmas Day in 2020 in the Baraque Michel nature reserve in the province of Liège, and sparked widespread debate after the footage was shared on Facebook.
Davenne has now spoken publicly about the incident, telling the Daily Mail that “I did what any good cyclist does and rang my bell several times, but they obviously didn’t hear me, so I cycled past, but as I did so I slipped and lost my balance slightly.
‘That’s when I knocked the little girl, I had put my leg out to balance myself, I didn’t realise I had hit her, and she had fallen over as I had cycled past. Then the father chased after me and berated me.
“I said it was an accident and then carried on. It was only later, when I saw the video on social media, that I realised he had filmed me.
The video shows the cyclist approaching the girl, Neïa, from behind, then his left knee appears to make contact with her as he rides past on a snow-covered path, causing her to fall.
Following a public appeal, the cyclist handed himself into police and spent a night in custody. He was subsequently charged with intentional assault and battery against a minor, which could carry the possibility of a one-year prison sentence.
In March 2021, a court in Verviers ordered the cyclist to pay symbolic damages of €1 to the child’s family. He also received a suspended sentence, as the judge concluded that he had been cycling too fast and had not left enough space to pass safely.
Following the conviction, Davenne launched a defamation case against the girl’s father, Patrick Mpasa, arguing that the video’s publication online had damaged his reputation and left the cyclist feeling unsafe when going outside.
Mr Mpasa maintained that he had shared the footage not to seek revenge but to raise awareness, saying he did not “want a witch hunt, just him to apologise”.
In September 2023, a court ruled in favour of the cyclist and ordered Mr Mpasa to pay €4,500 (£3,911) in compensation for the value of the bike Davenne claimed he could no longer use.
However, that ruling was overturned on Thursday by a court in Liège.
Davenne has said that he is still unhappy with the outcome, saying, “I still feel I did nothing wrong.”
“It wasn’t fair, and social media can be a huge problem. He had no right to do that.
“My friends recognised me and kept asking about what happened, and I told them it was an accident, just one of those things. But it quickly went out of control, even after I spoke with the father, as a friend of mine knew his wife. I suggested we drop it and forget about it, as no harm was done.
“But then the police were involved, and I was even kept in custody when the investigation started. It seemed to get out of hand very quickly for something that was very small. I still don’t see how the decision was overturned, as far as I can see, my image shouldn’t have been posted on the internet.
“The court said it was freedom of expression and contributed to the debate between cyclists and pedestrians, that may be the case, but it should not have been posted online. I just don’t understand how they came to a totally different verdict. That’s why I am going to speak to my lawyer to see what he says.”
> Cyclist filmed knocking over five-year-old wins defamation case against child’s father
He also added that the controversy around the video has taken a toll on him. He said: “This has all been very difficult for me. My cycling friends understand it was an accident, but I’ve been made to look very bad because of the video.
“Thankfully, I’ve never met the man again, even though I’ve been cycling along there since, but psychologically it has affected me, although as I said, it will not stop me cycling.
“Because I can assure you that one thing – I am still cycling and I intend to carry on cycling, it’s part of life and this won’t put me off at all, I’ve been riding for years, I’m passionate about it.”