From January 31 and until February 18, Nordahl Lelandais will be tried by the Isère Assize Court for the kidnapping and murder of little Maelys, 8 and a half years old at the material time, in August 2017, at Pont-de-Beauvoisin (Isère). But he must also appear for sexual assault on two of his little cousins aged 4 and 6 at the material time and possession of child pornography images. He had filmed their sex with his mobile phone while they slept. He had erased these images but the investigators managed to find them.
“They were assaulted by someone in their family” – Caroline Rémond, lawyer
Treason
Caroline Rémond is the lawyer for the two couples, parents of the two little girls. Me Rémond’s clients have been devastated since learning, in December 2018, what had happened to their little girls. “They were abused by someone in their family whom my clients trusted. It’s their first cousin. They have known each other since childhood. When Lelandais was indicted in the Maëlys case, at first they defended him, they didn’t think he could commit such acts” explains the lawyer
She adds: “One of the little girls was even his goddaughter! They feel betrayed. The little victims, who are now eight and ten years old, do not know what happened to them, because they were sleeping. But one day, it will be necessary to explain to them. Their parents are hyper-protective and, for example, no longer let them spend the night with a girlfriend, as we do at that age. They don’t go to summer camp. On the first day of the hearing, I will request the camera for my clients who wish to remain anonymous the most complete. You understand that they are parents of minor children. They want to preserve the interests of their daughters.”
Sexual assaults just before the murder of Maëlys
The case of the little cousins was joined to the Maëlys case because it was while working on the file that the investigators came across the two videos, shot by Nordahl Lelandais, for one five weeks before the murder of Maëlys and for the other, only a week before. Master Rémond specifies: “We know that at the same time, Lelandais consults child pornography sites, featuring very young children from 3 to 10 years old. This can possibly induce something, “color” the hearing, even if Lelandais is not prosecuted for sexual assault or rape on Maëlys de Araujo. Why did he take action on his little cousins? Will he answer such questions? My clients do not necessarily expect much from him, but if he wants to explain, we will take note.”
“These facts date from exactly one week before the facts concerning Maëlys de Araujo” – Caroline Rémond, lawyer
A third cousin of Lelandais filed a complaint against him, in 2020, for sexual touching that took place in April 2017 during the funeral of the girl’s father, then 14 years old. This case will be judged at a later date.
For his part, Nordahl Lelandais, during his hearing by the investigating judge about these two sexual assaults, explained that at that time he was taking a lot of cocaine and alcohol and that he was not doing plus the difference between a woman and a child.