More than a year after the accident, Pierre Palmade‘s trial will open this Wednesday, November 20 in Melun. The comedian will be tried for involuntary injuries. A charge which is debated and which is considered “scandalous” by the victims’ lawyer.
An expected judgment. This is a case that caused a lot of noise, on February 23, 2023, a road accident caused by Pierre Palmade, then under the influence of drugs, left three people from the same family seriously injured: a 38-year-old man. , her 6-year-old son and her 27-year-old sister-in-law, who had lost the baby she was expecting. A year and a half after the events, the actor’s trial will open this Wednesday, November 20 at the Melun criminal court for the sole charge of “unintentional injuries aggravated by the use of drugs”.
The decision to try the comedian on this charge alone without involuntary manslaughter provoked numerous debates. Asked about RTL this Sunday, Mourad Battikh, lawyer for the victims, explained that this qualification was “scandalous”: “Legally, for there to be a homicide, there must be a living being who is dead. And there, we had a fetus that was going to be born, alive and viable and which was unable to live because of the accident. There is a direct causal link between the death of this child and the accident. And legally, we draw no consequences from it,” he declared. However, according to consistent case law from the Court of Cassation which has ruled on similar cases of road accidents, a child who is not born alive does not exist as a legal person.
Pierre Palmade faces 14 years in prison
On the day of the accident, after partying for several days, Pierre Palmade had a large quantity of cocaine and 3MMC (a synthetic drug) in his blood. This is one of the points on which Mourad Battikh intends to emphasize since, according to him, it is an aggravating circumstance: “There is an intentional element. When we take a cocktail of drugs for several days, we decide to put ourselves in this state and consume excessively. Ultimately, we decide to take the vehicle and endanger the lives of others,” he added on RTL.
For his part, Pierre Palmade said he was “devastated” by the consequences of the accident for the victims. “I’m obsessed with this, with the baby who died (…). I am dangerous because of drugs, I am a nice guy, I am a good person,” declared the artist and as reported by AFP.
Pierre Palmade is a repeat offender due to a conviction in 2019 for drug use. He thus faces a sentence of fourteen years’ imprisonment and a fine of 200,000 euros.
Considering the trial’s focus on involuntary injuries rather than involuntary manslaughter, how does this distinction affect the justice received by the victims and the broader conversation about accountability in similar incidents?
Welcome to World Today News, we are here today with two guests to discuss an ongoing trial involving Pierre Palmade, a famous French comedian. Our first guest is Pierre Palmade himself, and our second guest is Mourad Battikh, a lawyer representing the victims of the accident.
Pierre Palmade, can you tell us what do you think of the charges brought against you in this trial? How do you feel about being tried only for involuntary injuries instead of involuntary manslaughter, considering the severity of the incident?
Mourad Battikh, as the lawyer representing the victims of the accident, what is your take on the trial’s qualification process? Do you believe that Pierre Palmade deserves to be tried for involuntary manslaughter as well? Additionally, could you elaborate on the legal complexities involved in cases involving fetuses?
Pierre Palmade, how do you respond to the allegations made by the victims’ lawyer? Do you acknowledge any responsibility for the accident, considering your drug use at the time? What measures have you taken to avoid similar incidents in the future?
Mourad Battikh, what is your stance on Pierre Palmade’s drug usage leading up to the accident? Should it be considered an aggravating circumstance, and if so, how does it impact his culpability? As a lawyer, how do you approach cases involving drugs and their potential impact on criminal liability?
Pierre Palmade, could you share your thoughts on the potential sentencing and its potential impact on your career and personal life? How do you hope to move forward from this incident?
Mourad Battikh, as a lawyer representing victims, what are your hopes and expectations from the trial’s outcome? Do you think the sentence will be commensurate with the gravity of the crime, and what message does it send to the public about road safety and drug use?
Thank you both for joining us today. We appreciate your insights and perspective on this important matter.
