Ritual crime in Benin: the murderer of a young girl sentenced to life imprisonment

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The long-awaited trial of two men accused of killing a 7-year-old girl was held on Monday June 15 in Cotonou. The kidnapping and assassination of Gracia Prunelle in order to harvest her organs for the preparation of a "magic soap" moved the country. The court acquitted the benefit of the doubt and sentenced the second defendant to life imprisonment.

Publicity

With our correspondent in Cotonou, Jean-Luc Aplogan

The Court sentenced Martial Bignon Zoï to life imprisonment. To everyone's surprise, his co-accused, Gratien Missigbèto, was acquitted for the benefit of the doubt. The public prosecutor, public prosecutor at the hearing, announced that he was going to appeal.

It was however Gratien Missigbèto, 22, who asked Martial Bignon Zoï a gray-gray to make his scam thrive on the internet. Martial Bignon Zoï then promised him "  the soap of luck  " whose preparation requires human organs. Martial Bignon Zoï first unsuccessfully targeted prostitutes before setting his sights on Gracia Prunelle, 7 years old, whose parents he knows well. At the end of the afternoon of February 3, the little girl was kidnapped and killed with a pestle and a knife.

Martial Bignon Zoï recognized the facts during a chilling tale and in front of an audience taken by emotion. "  You have to be a cold monster to inflict so much violence on a 7 year old girl  ," denounced the prosecutor.

Throughout the trial, Gracia's parents remained dignified. All had put on a white t-shirt bearing the image of the little girl, with the inscription on the back, "  No to the murder of children  ". But they do not understand the acquittal of Gratien Missigbèto. The public prosecutor nevertheless tried to convince the court of the complicity in the charlatanism of the sponsor. The latter even paid 18,000 F for the sordid work.

The lawyer of Gratien Missigbèto explained that "  there is no material element against his client  ". The court followed him. Me Nadine Sakponou Dossou, the lawyer for Gracia Prunelle's parents, is not satisfied with the decision: “  I am mixed. If the sponsor had not ordered his gris-gris, the other would not have killed the little one. We must also condemn those who appeal to people who make gray-gray on the grounds that they want to be rich.  "

The acquitted sponsor and the condemned man left the room, handcuffed together and under good police escort.

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