Assault at the gay-friendly Pride bar: the managers' lawyer speaks out: “Citizens can be targeted because of their sexual orientation”

Me Cyril Caron, lawyer for the managers of the Pride who were attacked about three weeks ago. HOCINE ROUAGDIA

On November 22, 2024, a violent attack took place near a gay-friendly bar on rue de Bernis. The plaintiffs' lawyer, Me Cyril Caron, is requesting that the aggravating circumstance of homophobic aggression be retained. Interview.

You are the lawyer of the managers of the pride attacked recently, what is their current state of mind ?

First of all, my clients are still in shock from this homophobic attack that will mark them forever and leave them with scars that time cannot erase. No less than 22 days have passed since the events and fear still drives the victims, the fear of meeting their attackers again, the fear that this will happen again, especially near their establishment. Many people throughout the country have identified with the victims and have felt the same fear. Because even today, citizens can be targeted by perpetrators of violence because of their sexual orientation, this is simply unacceptable. Finally, the fear of not being understood or heard, the fear of being ostracized or even forgotten… The compensation for their harm should be provided by a rapid and exhaustive criminal response.

In this case, the criminal response is neither rapid nor exhaustive since the criminal trial has been set for June 2025 and, above all, the aggravating circumstance of the victims' choice based on their sexual orientation has not yet been retained…

“The criminal response is neither rapid nor exhaustive” Me Cyril Caron lawyer

Did they feel they had been heard? ?

So, to answer your second question the victims actually feel they have not been heard.

For you, does the aggravating circumstance of homophobic aggression seem obvious to you? ?

The appropriate aggravating circumstance is obviously constituted because when the acts of violence are preceded, accompanied or followed by homophobic remarks it must be retained! This is unfortunately what happened in this case. The dynamic is eloquent and should have led the prosecuting authority to qualify the facts in this way. To this day I have absolutely no idea why the aggravating circumstance was not retained. But I have in mind the communication of the public prosecutor of Nîmes who, through her remarks, gave the impression of taking this case very seriously while at the same time ordering additional investigations. I can only be delighted. My clients have confidence in justice, it must not fail. They hope, they await with dignity a real criminal response that is up to the challenges.

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