Death of little Tony: the stepfather sentenced to 20 years of imprisonment, the mother to 4 years, including 1 suspended

The Marne Assize Court on Friday sentenced little Tony's stepfather, who died in November 2016 under the beatings, to 20 years of criminal imprisonment and the mother to four years in prison, one of which was suspended.

Convicted of "violence leading to death without intention of giving it to a 15-year-old minor" and "usual violence", Loïc Vantal sees his conviction accompanied by a two-thirds security sentence and socio-social monitoring. educational program of seven years.

Caroline Letoile was found guilty of "failure to report ill-treatment" and "failure to assist a person in danger".

"The judges and jurors took into account the humanity of Loic Vantal. I am satisfied. It is also a relief for him", reacted to AFP his lawyer, Me David Scribe.

"Our decision to appeal is in abeyance. We are giving ourselves time to step back and rest after these five days of trial. Caroline Letoile continues to cry. It is the weight of the emotion that makes her crack after these five days . She does not cry over her sentence, "reported her lawyer Pauline Coyac.

Blows born of "gratuitous wickedness"

Advocate General Matthieu Bourrette had requested 30 years of criminal imprisonment with 15 years of security against the stepfather "killer" and five years of imprisonment, including a suspended sentence, for a silent mother "accomplice", whose defense pleaded for release.

According to him, the blows that rained on the child, until he succumbed to a bursting of the spleen and pancreas on November 26, 2016, were driven by a "gratuitous malice" associated with "self-centeredness" of the accused, convicted seven times for violence, after a childhood marked by the violence of his father.

"I regret everything that has happened, for hurting both families. I have been behaving unacceptably. I deserve to be condemned. I am working and will continue to work on my behavior," Vantal said. before the jury retires.

"Relatively lenient judgment"

"We are a little disappointed. We hoped for a little more for both in view of the violence which was exerted on Tony", reacted to AFP Me Chalot Olivier, lawyer of the father and the grandmother of the child after the announcement of the verdict.

For Me Jean-Baptiste Rozes, for the Innocence in danger association, "there is certainly guilt for the two accused. It is good. But I find that it is a relatively lenient judgment". 

Loic Vantal had said Thursday that he "could not" stop "typing", admitting to have resulted in the death of the child, but without will to kill him.

His lawyer, Me David Scribe, sought to challenge the image of a "monster" and cast doubt on the extent and duration of the abuse inflicted on the child as described by investigators and witnesses, also citing the social origin of the accused, "young people who have nothing".

"Tony, there are things that are educationally difficult. Vantal is going to start having elements of reprimand. He's doing it because Caroline is in trouble and she allows him to help him," before the "dike broken" with the "first blow". 

Against Caroline Letoile, 19 years old at the time of the facts, the Advocate General had requested five years of imprisonment, one of which was suspended.

According to him, "Vantal is not the only one responsible. It was necessary the silence of Caroline Letoile which he needed", a silence "always complicit and liar", by "fear of the consequences for herself and for Vantal", for "not to lose" his companion.