What the suspect’s hearing reveals

Two days after the attack on the synagogue in La Grande-Motte in Hérault, security has been reinforced and access is systematically controlled. Inside, amidst the ashes, the carcasses of the burned-out cars still lie. The attack took place a few minutes before the service and the synagogue was still empty. But outside, the explosion of the gas cylinders slightly injured a municipal police officer. His manager, present during the attack, says he narrowly escaped the explosion. A “barbecue piece”” thrown by the explosion would have fallen “a few meters away” of him.

The suspect, a 33-year-old Algerian known for minor crimes, was arrested 16 hours after the attack thanks to video surveillance, telephone analysis and surveillance. Three of his acquaintances were also arrested. They are said to have actively assisted the alleged terrorists. The fugitive, who was slightly injured, was questioned by investigators from the anti-terrorism sub-directorate. The man is said to have admitted to all the facts. His neighbors describe him as a drug-addicted squatter. In La Grande Motte, a support rally was organized in front of the synagogue on Monday, August 26.