“Death of Thomas in Crépol: the suspects' version goes against the first testimonies”
While Thomas' funeral takes place this Friday, November 24 , the investigation continues. Some suspects in the Crépol attack, still in custody view, have given their version of the facts.
The nine suspects in the Crépol attack are still in custody. seen this Friday, November 24, the day of Thomas' funeral. arrested on Tuesday, November 21 as part of the investigation into "murder" and "attempted murder by an organized gang" opened after the death of Thomas at the Drôme village ball, on the night of Saturday 18 to Sunday 19 November.
One of the nine suspects was arrested. "formally designated as perpetrator of the fatal stabbing" Assessed à Thomas. According to the Valence public prosecutor's office, this 20-year-old individual is already known to the police services and was condemned à twice for cases of "concealment of theft" and “carrying a bladed or incapacitating weapon of category D without legitimate reason”. The investigation continued on Thursday, November 23 with searches of six homes in Romans-sur-Isère, including five located in the Monnaie district, reported< em>The Dauphiné Released.
What happened? at the Crepol ball?
The fatal attack occurred on the night of November 18 to 19, when between 300 and 400 young people were gathered in the village hall. You are from Crépol, in Drôme, for the winter ball. During the evening, a group of around ten people interrupted the event after injuring themselves. a security guard present at the entrance to the dining room the bladed weapon. A fight, first described as a "brawl", took place at the property. following the intrusion creating a panic. The events took place very quickly according to the various testimonies. In Le Dauphiné Released, a friend of Thomas said that between 15 and 20 people surrounded him. the party room.
The firefighters intervened around 2 a.m. and took care of around twenty people according to the authorities. According to the latest report, 16 people aged 23 to 20 years old 28 years have been injured and two were in absolute emergency without life-threatening conditions. Thomas, a 16-year-old young man, is the only deceased victim. He succumbed to death. à his injuries after receiving a "stabbing" to the heart then to the heart the throat. The 28-year-old victim, released from the hospital, told RTL on Thursday, November 23, "Two, three people came at me and that's when I was there. that I got stuck in the back. Çit touched me slightly; my lung, it broke me a rib".
During their custody sight, several suspects delivered a version clearly different from that put forward by the prosecution and by the witnesses. RTL reports that according to one four kept at home sight, the young people partying at the ball hit them first. He claims to have been hit with a stab, and relies on "a medical certificate" to testify to this. He assured that following this act of violence, friends at home He came to help them, armed with knives. RTL also indicates that one of the suspects, "present at the scene" “the evening for several hours”, would have suffered “mockery from a group of rugby players”. The media points out mockery about "his physique, notably his long hair, and calling into question his virility.".
A funeral in emotion
Thomas' funeral will be held this Friday, November 24, in Paris. from 10 a.m., in the town of Saint-Donat-sur-l'Herbasse. The Dolphiné Released specifies this Friday morning that many people are present at the meeting. the church where The ceremony takes place. Chairs and speakers were added. installed outside the church so that the crowd present could attend the event. the ceremony.
On Thursday evening, a wake was held. organized the church of Crépol. A vigil organized at the initiative of the parish, but with the agreement of the family. According to information from the BFMTV reporter, more than 200 people gathered on Thursday evening, including around fifty who remained outside, in front of the church, for lack of a place à inside. A vigil which was intended to be “a moment of hope, in the midst of tragedy and pain”, according to Father Dominique Fornerod, the priest. of the parish.
On Wednesday, a white march was carried out. organized by his family at Romans-sur-Isère and had brought together 6,000 people. In the columns of Paris Match, Thomas' mother denounced the attack carried out against his son and shared with him his pain: "They took me away. my Thomas. It's all madness."
Who are the aggressors of the attack? Crepol?
Of the nine suspects arrested, one was arrested. identified as the main suspect responsible for Thomas' death. This is a man of nationality: French aged 20 years old. He was "born" à Romans-sur-Isère from a mother also of nationality French and residing in the center [of Romans-sur-Isère], and not in the Monnaie district" as might have been supposed; initially, according to a press release; of the prosecutor of the Republic of Valencia. He has already Summer convicted of receiving theft and carrying a category D bladed weapon. Above all, since September 25, he was banned from carrying a weapon for two years.
Concerning the other suspects, they are aged between 19 and 19 years old. 22 years old, except three of them who are minors over 16 years old. Among them, no conviction mentioned in the criminal record, according to the Valencia prosecutor's office including Le Figaroechoes. Of the remaining five, two are 19 years old. One was born à Romans-sur-Isère, the other in Italy. No trace of conviction also in their record. RTL announced this Friday that some of the suspects in custody are in custody. view delivers their side of the story. One of them, present at the evening before it took a tragic turn, evokes the mockery he suffered about his physique from a group of rugby players. A first fight then allegedly took place and another suspect claims to have been stabbed. The rest of the events are now known.
Among these remaining five there is also a 20-year-old man, born à Romans-sur-Isère, whose criminal record is a little more extensive, including a prison sentence; of general interest work "for an infraction of the law" “the legislation on narcotics” and a "criminal fine for a misdemeanor violation of the Highway Code". A native of Romans-sur-Isère, aged 21, has two convictions in his record, including a prison sentence with a suspended probationary period. for two years, for acts of aggravated violence. The last man, aged aged 22, also has two mentions in his criminal record, including a conviction " suspended imprisonment for acts of contempt and threat of imprisonment against holders of authority public and driving a vehicle without a license. As for the 21-year-old young man, the second mention refers to traffic offense(s).
All the suspects seem to know each other, seven of them were arrested. arrested near Toulouse during a possible escape attempt to Spain and the last two were arrested. arrested at Romans-sur-Isère. According to several testimonies, the group came “to fight with the people present at the meeting”. in the evening. The lawyer for four of the suspects, however, assures that his clients went to the Crépol ball to party and that the evening deteriorated, thus refuting the claim. #39;hypothesis of a premeditated attack.
The investigation entrusted to The research section of the Grenoble gendarmerie must continue to determine the possible premeditation of the attack. Crepol. Investigators must also establish the suspects' motivations. In the first days of the investigation, the public prosecutor entrusted theDauphiné Released that "the facts would be similar to those a settling of accounts.