The third day of the trial began on Tuesday with the presentations of psychiatric expertises concerning the two accused in this revenge case tried in Tarbes. Jérôme Manini is accused of having murdered his former father-in-law, Joël Balme, on January 31, 2018. He had sexually assaulted his sisters two decades earlier but had served in a six-year prison sentence for these facts. Jérôme Manini’s friend, Adil Khatouf, is on trial for complicity in the murder.
It did not deflate.
Two expert psychiatrists took the floor in turn to present their conclusions. About Adil Khatouf, it emerges a “psycho-affective immaturity“. By the way, it is in a”defense strategy“, according to the doctor who spoke with him. Concretely,”he doesn’t want to be involved, he says he’s a stranger to the case and that he was not aware of Jérôme Manini’s motivations“
A pressure cooker effect
“It’s a bomb that has been set up and that has been self-sustaining for all these years“says the expert psychiatrist concerning the personality of Jérôme Manini. The heart of the problem lies in having ruminated for years, “a repetitive feeling of betrayal“. As the doctor points out,”it’s not nothing to have a father who kills your uncle, it is not nothing to have a stepfather who rapes his sisters“.
No mental illness so no psychiatric dangerousness
The psychiatrist expert continues: “We haven’t told him things, he couldn’t say them and even the day he kills Joël Balme he doesn’t say anything to him, there is too much hatred, he cannot stop, it is relentlessness“His family probably didn’t talk to him to protect him, but it got worse, according to medical findings. He didn’t talk about it and”it did not deflate“explains the expert. However, with Jérôme Manini, there would be no no impairment of discernment, no paranoid personality which means that the responsibility is complete.
His own suffering comes from his story
Another expert who spoke on Tuesday stressed the importance of the trauma in Jérôme Manini, “he kept everything to himself” she said. This expert added: “His suffering comes from his history, not from the outside. […] In particular, the absence of a locating parental figure. “
The testimonies of the Manini sisters
One of the highlights of this Tuesday is when the sisters of Jérômes Manini came to testify at the bar. A moment of tension and emotion in the courtroom. Once again, we feel that there are two clans in the hall of the Assize Court: the Manini and the Balme family who whisper when the first sister arrives at the bar. Her whole body is shaking but she refuses to sit down. She speaks: “I know that Jerome wanted to avenge my sister and me. I think he blames himself for not having defended us. “She continues:”What I regret is that he didn’t talk to us, he could have talked to a shrink. “
Then comes the second sister who believes that it is only her brother who loves her: “I feel like he understands my pain“. This woman also says:”It was my brother who killed Joël Balme, and I take the guilt. “”You don’t have to feel guilty“answers the general counsel.”But it’s because of my pain“retorts the sister of the accused.”Yes, but you didn’t shoot seven times. Are you still in pain?“asks the Advocate General. Yes, admits Jérôme Manini’s sister. It is the Advocate General who concludes:”So that won’t have solved anything. “