"The death of Steve Maia Caniço is a tragedy that affects us all," said Tuesday Philippe Philippe, promising to "shed light" on the death of the young 24-year-old Nantais more than a month ago, during the Music Festival. Prime Minister pointed out that the report of the General Inspectorate of the National Police (IGPN) establishes "no link" between the intervention of the police, which was "justified", and the disappearance of Steve Maia Caniço.
Witnessing the emotion provoked by the disappearance of the young extracurricular animator, Édouard Philippe made a statement in the court of Matignon, alongside the Minister of the Interior Christophe Castaner, to ensure the "will of total transparency" of the authorities.
He acknowledged that "more than five weeks after the fact, the course of this evening, the sequence of events, remain confused" and that several questions remain after the identification, Tuesday, of the body of Steve Maia Caniço, discovered the day before in the Loire. The Prime Minister also announced the seizure of "the General Inspectorate of Administration to go further and understand the conditions of organization of the event by the government, city and prefecture, and private organizers."
The public prosecutor's office of Nantes opened a judicial information "against X" for "manslaughter".
>> To read: The body found in the Loire is that of Steve Maia Caniço, missing in Nantes
The lawyer of the family of Steve Maia Caniço, Me Cécile de Oliveira says "surprised" at the speech of the Prime Minister after the discovery of the body of the young man disappeared during the Music Festival in Nantes, which l leads to evoking a "state affair".
"I am absolutely surprised that the Prime Minister has spoken today." she said. "It was announced instead a speech by the Minister of the Interior to inform the findings of the IGPN report.The Prime Minister himself speaks, clearly, the case becomes a matter of state ", she told AFP.
"The time is searching for the truth"
On the night of the Music Festival on June 21, many of the concert participants reported being blinded by a tear gas cloud, some of which had dropped several meters into the river. "Between 8 and 14 people fell in the Loire" during the night, according to the IGPN report. Steve Maia Caniço did not know how to swim, according to his family.
Shadow areas remain on the intervention occurred around 4 am, and the police say that there was "no charge" of law enforcement, which she said projectiles.
"Clearly, this takeover by the executive of a case that is entrusted to an investigating judge seems to me to be indicative of a very complicated political moment on police interventions," said de Oliveira. The report of the IGPN, which does not establish "connection between the police force intervention and the disappearance" of the young man, is "difficult to hear" for the family of Steve Maia Caniço, according to their lawyer.
Before the declaration, the Minister of the Interior Christophe Castaner had spent two hours in Matignon to examine with Édouard Philippe this affair which embarrasses the government. President Emmanuel Macron also spoke with Édouard Philippe and Christophe Castaner, "to remind them of his concern to make all the transparency on this matter and take the necessary initiatives", according to the presidency.
For the socialist mayor of Nantes Johanna Rolland, "more than ever the time is not the controversy but the search for the truth". She found "at least disturbing and disturbing" that "after 5 weeks of investigation, the IGPN is still not able to say what happened."
MP Eric Coquerel (France Insoumise) reiterated Tuesday the request for a parliamentary inquiry committee of his party. MEP Yannick Jadot (EELV) has demanded that "truth and justice prevail".
Unfortunately we now know where Steve was. At this time I join the distress of his family and loved ones. But then come the time to demand justice for Steve. #JusticePourSteve
Eric Coquerel (@ericcoquerel) July 30, 2019 All our thoughts to Steve's family and loved ones who are living terrible hours. Truth and justice must prevail.
A body retrieved in the Loire, more than a month after the disappearance of Steve Maia Caniço - via @lemondefr https://t.co/1cvmxTlE7J
"It was more than 20 years since the party people gathered there every year, so the state was aware of the enormous risks involved in such an intervention, yet it did not hesitate," said the organizers of the National Coordinating Committee. Sound systems.
"We will fight for justice to be done"
During the day, Tuesday, protesters poured red food coloring into the fountain of the Place Royale, in the center of Nantes, on which hangs a black banner bearing the name of Steve.
"We are sad of course and we are angry, but we control our anger to take action.There is a 24 year old who died drowned one evening of the Music Festival, and we will not let it go, we will fight for justice, "said Éric Sagot, a member of the collective behind the fountain.
About 150 people then ended up at Wilson's Wharf. In Toulouse, 75 people, according to the prefecture, paid tribute to Steve on the banks of the Garonne.
With AFP