the investigation into the four seriously injured demonstrators in Sainte-Soline must conclude “at the end of the first half of 2024”

Almost a year after the violent demonstration against the mega-basins project, the Rennes Public Prosecutor’s Office took stock on Friday of the ongoing investigation into “violence by a holder of public authority” and “failure to assist anyone in danger”.

Almost a year after the events, the Rennes Public Prosecutor’s Office, in a press release, returned to the investigation surrounding the demonstration of March 25, 2023, during which four demonstrators were very seriously injured. The Prosecutor’s Office had referred the investigations to the General Inspectorate of the National Gendarmerie, retaining the qualifications of “violence by public authority followed by an ITT greater than or equal to 8 days” and of “no assistance to the person in danger”. For the moment, the investigation has not been completed and additional time has been granted, with the aim of “finalize these heavy and complex investigations” from here “at the end of the first half of 2024 or during the summer”.

The objective is to be able to finalize these heavy and complex investigations and for the prosecution to be able, on the basis of a legal analysis of the facts, to decide on an orientation, at the end of the first half of 2024 or during the summer.

More than 2,000 videos and 5,000 photos analyzed

In this investigation, more than a hundred witnesses (104, precisely), were heard as part of the call for witnesses launched by the Prosecutor’s Office. Among the witnesses, the prosecution mentions those from “of state or territorial administration” in charge of maintaining order (prefecture, emergency services, SAMU, firefighters) but also direct witnesses of the demonstrations (protesters, street medics, journalists, elected officials, activists, and observers from the Human Rights League the man).

Next to “2,100 video files” and more “5,300 photos” were analyzed, as well as “recordings of calls to 18, 17”And “radio calls made between the mobile gendarmerie forces on the ground and the command”. Files collected from law enforcement, such as demonstrators (especially for photos).

“All of this data was processed and cross-checked in order to have a chronology and the most precise understanding possible of the facts (time, location and circumstances of the injuries of each victim, type of ammunition used, identification of the shooters, methods of treatment by the emergency services of each victim and context of the facts)”specifies the Prosecutor’s Office.

However, the conclusions of the investigation are not yet known. “Additional time was granted to the experts mandated by the prosecution in order to finalize their conclusions in forensic, chemical and ballistic matters”continues the press release. “The objective is to be able to finalize these heavy and complex investigations” from here “at the end of the first half of 2024 or during the summer”concludes the Prosecutor’s Office.