At the bar, the four defendants look young, very young. You almost wonder what they are doing there. Their criminal records are either blank or contain minor convictions. The questioning by the president of the tribunal, with its severe tone, almost resembles a teacher-student exchange. And yet. All are accused of having participated in an aggression of incredible violence, as evidenced by CCTV footage. On the night of June 20 to 21, 2021, around 2 a.m., a 35-year-old man was repeatedly beaten by six young people. The man, who remained on the ground, will be hospitalized urgently and will be sentenced to total interruption of work for fifteen days.
The six young people are finally arrested at the end of November. The immediate appearance hearing scheduled for the end of their police custody is postponed to carry out psychological and psychiatric analyzes. Four of them were finally sentenced, Wednesday January 5, to a sentence ranging from 2 to 3 years in prison, including a year and a half to two years of probation by the Criminal Court of Bordeaux. The firm sentence can be arranged in house arrest, with an electronic bracelet. They have an obligation to work and to compensate the victim, as well as a ban on approaching him and holding a weapon. Two other defendants, minors, were tried in December by the children’s court. One of them was sentenced to one year in prison, including six months suspended.
“Traces of blood everywhere”
The memories of that night remain hazy for the four defendants. They consumed alcohol, also smoked cannabis. After having eaten in town, the gang of young people goes up the course Alsace-Lorraine. Two girls are chatting at the front of the group. At the intersection with rue Sainte-Catherine, they are approached by a man, in a leather jacket and rangers, who insults them. At this point, a verbal altercation takes place and the two young women warn their friends, shouting for them to come and help them. One by one, they’ll all swoop down on the 35-year-old and punching, kicking and even stabbing him. The man quickly finds himself on the ground, but the young people continue to beat him. The lynching lasts three minutes. The victim is then left for dead in the middle of the street.
At no time does anyone think he may be dead. – Soline Dupont, prosecutor of the Republic of Bordeaux
“We couldn’t stop”, admits Stefan P., 18, in a small voice in the box. Young people say their friends told them the man had them sexually assaulted. “We thought he was a very, very bad person”, explains Reda B., 19. “I was stressed”, says Gabriel M., 19, childish face and un-ironed white shirt. “At the time, there was no real danger, but I’m not used to that sort of thing. Every time he got up, I felt like he wanted more. assault us. There was a group effect. “ President Charles Moynot responds to these remorse: “You continued this for 3 minutes, there were traces of blood across the width of the Alsace-Lorraine course!” “Yes, it’s very serious, it could have gone even further”, admits Reda B.
“You are there because the victim did not die from his injuries”, confirms the prosecutor, while the qualification of attempted homicide has been abandoned at the start of the procedure. “But what is striking is the gap between the personalities of the individuals and the charges. You gave him no chance. At no point did anyone think that he might be dead.” The prosecution requires five years in prison, including a one-year probationary period for the two young people already involved in other cases of violence, and four years in prison including a one-year probationary period for the other two.
“They are not psychopaths”
The lawyer of the civil party tells “the atrocity of what my client suffered”. “Despite the rain, there was blood everywhere, he had an impressive number of wounds with holes in his head. All his clothes were ragged.”, she says. “Once the SMUR arrives there, it is even believed that its vital prognosis is engaged. It is not a simple fight, it is a lynching. He was left for dead, like a wounded animal.”
“Subjectively, this is not a lynching”, retorts Delphine Gali, lawyer of Stefan P. “At the moment, they are not aware of the facts that have occurred. My client says he saw an assailant, then it is the blackout.” “They are not psychopaths”, continues another lawyer. “It could be your children, they are not dangerous guys for our society”, he says, while his client Louis R. cries hot tears in the box. For Maître Dufranc, this bout of violence can also be explained by the current context. “Because of the confinements, my clients did not know anything about nightlife. In May 2021, they immersed themselves in this discovery of freedom, with its quirks.” “And prison is not possible for them”, concludes Master Gali. “Other than breaking their insertion, I don’t see what that will bring.”