After several weeks of a highly publicized trial, Nordahl Lelandais was therefore sentenced to life imprisonment with a 22-year security sentence. In order to deliver their verdict, the jurors therefore took into account the submissions of the Advocate General and considered that the accused was responsible for all the facts with which he was charged. When the verdict was announced, the assassin of little Maelys remained stoic while the civil parties expressed their relief. Here are five takeaways from this shocking trial.
1. The trial was almost jeopardized following the state of health of Nordahl Lelandais
A few days after the opening of the trial of Maelys’ murderer, the families of the victims held their breath when the 38-year-old former soldier presented all the symptoms of Covid-19. But the PCR test came back negative and the trial was able to resume.
2. New revelations about Nordahl Lelandais’ sexual urges
If many have in mind the fate of little Maelys, Nordahl Lelandais also attacked her little cousins. The opportunity, for the first time, to hear the defendant recognize pedophile tendencies. “The word was dropped, it’s an important word, the word pedophilia.“, explained his lawyer.
3. Unbearable moments for the families of the victims
If Nordahl Lelandais admitted the attacks on his little cousins of 4 and 6 years, the moment was all the more on for many who attended the hearing when videos taken on a mobile phone were broadcast in court. “It’s really hard, it’s images that will haunt me“, said the mother who had to identify her daughter on the film “in relation to the panties”. Some even left the room during these broadcasts.
4. A famous TF1 journalist involved in the case
On Monday February 7, when the pedophile attraction towards little girls was discussed. Nordahl Lelandais denied and made an astonishing revelation. “On August 20, 2017, Nordahl Lelandais searched the internet for naked photos of journalist Audrey Crespo-Mara after watching the TV news on her phone.“, reported Thibaut Chevillard for 20 Minutes.
5. Nordahl Lelandais receives the heaviest possible sentence in France
Failing to obtain convincing answers from Nordahl Lelandais, the families of the victims expected to “the firmness” from the Assize Court in order to “to authenticate as much as possible the tortured status of little Maëlys“, in the words of the family lawyer, Me Laurent Boguet. By sentencing the defendant to life imprisonment with a 22-year security sentence, the jurors therefore met the expectations of the families.
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