Published22. October 2024, 10:03
Geneva: A debt of 200 francs caused a machete injury
A thirty-year-old woman is accused of bodily harm against a man who owed her money. The two protagonists have divergent versions.
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A machete with a serrated blade was found during a search of the defendant’s home. (pretext photo)
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She wanted to get some money back, but it might cost her in the end. A 37-year-old Swiss woman will have to answer for threats and simple bodily harm during a conflict that occurred in October 2022, in Onex (GE). Injured in the left hand by a machete with a 24-centimeter serrated blade, his debtor was operated on for 92 minutes under general anesthesia to repair a severed nerve and tendons.
A debt of 200 francs
During his complaint, the latter specified that he owed 200 francs to the defendant. On the day of the alleged events, she followed him by car, while he was traveling with two friends. Things got worse when he stopped to find out the reason for this tailing. According to his version, the defendant approached him with the bladed weapon still stored in its holster, demanding his dues. She then allegedly threatened to “plant” him, while partially removing the sheath.
Panicked, the man allegedly jumped on the machete, but his opponent maintained his grip. It was there that he noticed bleeding “profusely.” Taken by his friends to the Onex office then to the HUG, he underwent surgery, followed by rehabilitation and two months of sick leave.
To “protect yourself”
Hearing, the defendant partly contested the complainant’s version and denied having threatened him. She said she was scared when she saw him stop. Her debtor reportedly indicated that he would not repay her, before pounced on her. For her, he had injured himself by placing his hand on the blade, while she had only protected herself.
The prosecution held that she had “adopted dangerous behavior” and “acted at the very least out of possible fraud”. He demanded a 120-day fine of 70 francs per day, suspended for three years, as well as a fine of 1,680 francs, via a penal order. This having been the subject of opposition, the Police Court will decide.
