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Editorial Mortagne-au-Perche
Published on November 20, 2024 at 5:56 a.m.
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It was a very complicated case, with four defendants and around ten victims, that the Alençon criminal court had to judge during the hearing of November 14, 2024.
The events took place on February 17, 2024, at the village hall of The Belly (Orne).
The building is reserved by a team of young people from the town, including several minors, to celebrate the birthday of one of them, in the presence of a few parents. A young girl who was not initially invited and who says she is having a complicated relationship with her reputedly violent boyfriend (he has already been convicted for this reason) is invited to join the group.
During the evening, around 11 p.m. after several contacts by messaging, the boyfriend arrived by car in the parking lot to have an “explanation” with his partner. She joins him in the car when one of the fathers present acts as a mediator and calmly explains to the young man that it is better for him to leave the scene.
Other less calm guests join him and a stampede ensues during which the young undesirable sees his parka slightly torn, while his car suffers a few knocks on the bodywork. He then returns home to Senonches.
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Katana and baseball bat
The rejected lover then contacts a few friends to return to Ventrouze, to demand accountability for the harm he feels he has suffered. The team includes at least eight people including the four defendants, unarmed and with their faces uncovered, and four others. They are dressed in black, hooded and carry weapons by nature or purpose (katana, baseball bat, etc.).
Arriving on the scene, the most virulent entered the room and began looking for the parents, shouting “Where are the darons?” We’re going to fuck you! We’re going to smash you! “. The “darons” in question had left the premises and the attackers only found a few terrified young people who were subjected to the overturning of tables and a few chairs being thrown.
Prison closed
The paradox of this case is that those who made threats by entering the room armed are not prosecuted. Hooded, they could not be identified by the victims and their teammates, less cautious than them and therefore identifiable, did not denounce them.
Two of the four defendants, who could only be blamed for being present on the scene without any active participation, are acquitted. The third who made the mistake of entering the room for a few moments in the company of the attackers received an eight-month suspended sentence. Finally, the boyfriend, considered the main organizer of the operation, was sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment, including 6 months suspended on probation.
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Hello, thank you for agreeing to this interview about the recent trial in Mortagne-au-Perche. To begin with, can you help our readers understand the background of the case? What exactly happened on the night of February 17, 2024, at the village hall in The Belly (Orne)?
Guest 1: Certainly! As detailed in the article, the case revolves around a group of young people who had rented out the village hall in The Belly for a birthday party. A girl who was not initially invited came along, and eventually, her ex-boyfriend showed up at the scene, causing a disturbance. The situation escalated when he left but returned with a group of friends armed with weapons like katanas and baseball bats, causing chaos and threatening the attendees.
Guest 2: Yes, it’s a frightening situation that shows how quickly things can get out of hand when people resort to violence instead of communication. The trial seemed to focus more on the latter half of the incident, with the defendants being tried for their involvement in the attack rather than the initial confrontation between the boyfriend and his ex-girlfriend.
Can you tell us more about the trial process? The article mentions that several defendants were initially involved, but why were some acquitted and some sentenced?
Guest 1: The trial focused mainly on the involvement of the defendants in the second half of the incident, where they entered the building armed and caused damage. The two who were acquitted were not directly involved in this part, while the other two defendants were found guilty of being present during the attack and one was given a suspended sentence. It’s important to note that the main organizer of the attack, the ex-boyfriend, was given a harsher sentence as he was seen as the catalyst for the situation.
Guest 2: That’s right. The court seemed to have made a distinction between those who were actively involved in the violence and those who were there more passively. This highlights the importance of taking responsibility for one’s actions and acknowledging the consequences even when they stem from emotional turmoil.
It’s also interesting that the attackers were not identified due to their hoods. Do you think this made it harder for the victims to seek