The trial for the attack, carried out against a couple of police officers in 2016, is entering its second week at the special assizes in Paris. The families will be heard Monday afternoon.
It is a moment as much feared as awaited by the families of the couple of police officers killed on June 13, 2016 in Magnanville (Yvelines), at home in front of their son, by a terrorist. The hearings of the civil parties will take place on Monday October 2 afternoon and are likely to be difficult for the families of Jean-Baptiste Salvaing and Jessica Schneider. They will intervene at the end of the hearing of the psychologist of the victims’ son, aged three years old at the time of the attack, and the viewing of the video demanding the terrorist’s demands. A video which was filmed and broadcast live on Facebook while he was still holed up in the victims’ ward with the child.
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If the two families attend the trial every day, share the same pain, are seated together on a bench separate from the public placed in front of the accused tried for complicity, they do not see these hearings in the same eye. They do not have the same expectations, according to their respective lawyers. Jessica Schneider’s mother and sister, Josiane and Nathalie Schneider, both decided to testify, according to Masters Thibault de Montbrial and Louis Cailliez. “They will pay tribute to the luminous, magnificent woman that Jessica wasexplains Louis Cailliez to franceinfo, and also express their feelings mid-trial on what they think of the guilt of Mohamed Aberouz.
To try to understand
An offensive approach that the family of Jean-Baptiste Salvaing does not share. The father and sister of the police officer, if they testify – they give themselves until the last minute to make the decision – do not wish to talk about the accused, nor their pain at having lost their loved ones. “In this trial, my clients have adopted a withdrawn position”confides to franceinfo master Pauline Dufourq, their lawyer.
“The prosecution is doing its job, and so is the defense. My clients want to intervene to try to understand, to have reading keys and explanations.”
Pauline Dufourq, lawyer for the father and sister of Jean-Baptiste Salvaingat franceinfo
An approach shared with the mother and sister of Jessica Schneider. “Seven years later, they delve back into the details of the unspeakable horror, they witness everything, from the first to the last minute, they are very concentrated, they behave, I find, like jurors, comments their lawyer, Louis Cailliez. They study the incriminating and exculpatory elements to truly have an intimate conviction.” on the accused, a close friend of the terrorist, who himself claims the most rigorous vision of Islam.
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An intimate conviction which until now has been difficult to form, as the questions most often remain unanswered, a week after the start of the hearing. This is evidenced by the debate which lasted more than three hours on Friday between the two DNA experts, questioned to find out whether Mohamed Aberouz’s DNA was indeed found on the victims’ computers at home. It is impossible at the end of these hearings to have a firm and definitive answer on this subject.
Protect the son of the killed police officers as much as possible
On the Salvaing side, the goal, the obsession itself, is to put the victims’ son Damien* as far away from this trial as possible. For example, his lawyer, Pauline Dufourq, preferred never to meet him, the investigating judge never questioned him. However, his testimony – which may imply the presence of a second man during the attack – is one of the elements which will be examined, dissected by the prosecution and the defense on Monday. A testimony which was collected by psychologists, one of whom will testify Monday afternoon.
Thus, the father and sister of Jean-Baptiste Salvaing, who has had guardianship of his nephew since the attack, if they come to speak Monday afternoon, it will be to discuss Damien “objectively”, according to Pauline Dufourq. “There are elements of his personal life, of his medical situation that we should not go into,” insists the lawyer. This weekend, she also sent journalists a press release in which the family of Jean-Baptiste Salvaing denounces the fact that “certain media outlets have recently relayed erroneous information relating to the private life of children”.
While recalling several articles of law which protect the privacy and dignity of minor victims, the Salvaings recall the wish they have to“peaceful and worthy media treatment of this trial”.
A search for shared truth
In any case, it is common opinion that not a word will be said about the accused’s first sentences on the first day of the trial, a week ago. Mohamed Aberouz had unambiguously condemned the actions of his friend Larossi Abballa while once again recalling his innocence. Josiane and Nathalie Schneider “were not touched by these first words”indicates Louis Cailliez their lawyer. “There were two dimensions in this first speech: a dimension of apology, they absolutely did not believe him because they considered in view of the file that they were dealing with a manipulator who was trying to deceive his world and they considered that it was not sincere”. And the second dimension, according to their lawyer, “it’s a search for truth” on the part of the accused.
“They would have liked that during this first week of proceedings, Mohamed Aberouz would speak out on the extremely incriminating charges against him.”
Louis Cailliez, lawyer for Jessica Schneider’s mother and sisterat franceinfo
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These first words were perhaps a little better received by Jean-Baptiste Salvaing’s family. “It’s always interesting when we have the first words of compassion addressed to the civil parties, indicates Pauline Dufourq. I think it’s something to be welcomed, even if it doesn’t take away the pain and sadness.”
*The first name has been changed