Reims (AFP)
Four days after the assault in a sensitive district of Reims of a photo-journalist, to "prevent" him from doing his job, a 21-year-old was indicted for "aggravated attempted murder" and placed in custody. custody.
Arrested on Monday, the suspect, of Algerian nationality, is suspected of being the one who "struck" the head, "first with his fists, then with the camera" of the journalist, especially when he was on the ground, while the latter "exercised his profession, and for this reason", declared the public prosecutor of Reims Matthieu Bourrette, during a press conference.
The prosecutor then announced the indictment of the suspect in a statement.
The suspect, who had a Spanish residence permit and had lived in the Red Cross neighborhood for about three years, is suspected of having attacked the victim Christophe Lantenois, to prevent him from taking pictures of the apparent preparations for a brawl, and "probably" recover the images already taken, according to the prosecutor.
The camera was found without its memory card.
- Second man -
While in police custody, the man "remained silent", "quite annoyed", and refused to leave his cell.
He has already been sentenced eight times between 2018 and 2019, in particular for acts of violence in meetings and break-ins.
A second man, suspected of having also struck "in the direction of the victim" but "probably on the ground" with a stick, was identified but not arrested at this stage, the prosecutor said.
The aggression of this journalist had aroused the indignation of the political class, up to the Elysee Palace, which had asked Sunday for an arrest "as soon as possible" of the authors.
Like President LR of the Senate, Gérard Larcher, Reporters Without Borders and the National Union of Journalists were moved by an attack on press freedom.
"I want to assure his family, his relatives, his editorial staff and all your profession, of the absolute support of the government and of the absolute determination of the public authorities to identify and punish the perpetrators of this unspeakable act," said Wednesday the spokesperson of the government, Gabriel Attal.
- "57 seconds" -
According to the prosecutor, the group of young people that the journalist had come to cover "suggested the preparation of clashes" between rival gangs.
That same morning, "a number of golf clubs, clubs and baseball bats" had been purchased from a sports store and "brought" into the neighborhood.
In addition, the group of individuals gathered around 3:00 pm had "moved blocks of stone and barriers" probably to hinder the arrival of the police, he said.
According to the account of the prosecutor, established in particular thanks to the images of "cameras on the spot and recordings of third parties", Christian Lantenois had tried, shortly after 3:00 p.m., to take pictures at "a few hundred meters of hooded individuals who were a few tens ", but a group" quickly spotted "him, near his car flocked with the logo of his newspaper.
The main suspect then "rushed on him", quickly joined by twelve other individuals.
According to the prosecutor, "the aggression in its entirety lasted 57 seconds, and the blows (...) a few seconds".
A judicial investigation against X was also opened for "participation in a group with a view to committing acts of violence or degradation" and "non-assistance to person in danger", with the objective of arresting the other authors.
The main suspect "faces life imprisonment at this stage."
According to Xavier Albertini, security assistant at the town hall of Reims, two previous groups of young people last week had given rise to "rapid meetings between groups" in the district, of 28,000 inhabitants.
© 2021 AFP