Death of Steve Caniço: the request for expatriation examined Wednesday at the Court of Cassation

Paris (AFP)

The request of expatriation of the investigation on the death of Steve Maia Caniço in Nantes will be examined Wednesday by the criminal chamber of the Court of Cassation, one learned Friday from judicial source.

The high court will pronounce quickly, within a maximum of eight days according to this source.

The request for expatriation had been initiated by the two investigating judges of Nantes in charge of the investigation for "manslaughter" after the discovery in late July in the Loire of the body of the young man, disappeared during a festival of music marked by an operation controversial policewoman.

"The continuation of the investigations will require to seek all the responsibilities in the death of the young man and thus potentially, those of usual institutional partners of the tribunal de grande instance of Nantes", explained at the beginning of August in a statement the attorney general at the court of Rennes appeal, which had lodged with the Court of Cassation the request of the judges.

"The change of scenery is to ensure the serenity of the judicial information and objective impartiality of the court seized," added Jean-Francois Thony.

Such a request, occurring as early in the investigation, is rare. But the disappearance of this extracurricular 24-year-old animator caused a strong emotion and sharp criticism on the intervention of the police on the night of June 21 to 22.

Participants in the sound system on the banks of the Loire had reported being blinded by a cloud of tear gas, some had fallen into the river. Steve Maia Caniço did not know how to swim, according to his family.

It is also Wednesday that are awaited the conclusions of the investigation of the Inspectorate General of Administration (IGA), seized after the death of Steve Maia Caniço to understand the conditions of organization of the Music Festival in Nantes .

Interior Minister Christophe Castaner announced that he would "publicize" this investigation.

Prime Minister Edouard Philippe announced on July 30th this new investigation "to go further" than the conclusions of the administrative investigation of the IGPN, which could not establish a "link" between the intervention of the police and the disappearance of Steve Maia Caniço.

© 2019 AFP