Rambouillet attack: tributes to the policewoman killed throughout France
French police pay homage to Stéphanie Monfeture, in front of the town hall of Rambouillet near Paris, in France, on April 26, 2021. REUTERS - GONZALO FUENTES
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A thousand people in Rambouillet and police gathered in front of police stations in several cities in France: tributes were paid Monday April 26 to Stéphanie Monfeture, the administrative agent murdered Friday by a radicalized 36-year-old Tunisian.
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In her speech on the steps of the Town Hall, the mayor of Rambouillet Véronique Matillon praised “
the exceptional woman
” that was Stéphanie Monfeture who “
devoted her life
” to “
others
”. At his side, the daughters and husband of the victim as well as Gérard Larcher, Gérald Darmanin and Marlène Schiappa. "
We will not waver in the face of such an abomination,
" promised the city councilor who passed his hand with compassion on the back of the youngest of the victim's daughters, in tears.
Madam Mayor of Rambouillet and her Municipal Council, today paid tribute to the police officer murdered in the performance of her duties
Hundreds of Rambolitans went to the Town Hall to show their support for her family and the police pic.twitter.com/H63MmUeFas
- Rambouillet Town Hall (@ Rambouillet_78) April 26, 2021
Three days after the shock, more than a thousand people hailed the memory of Stéphanie Monfeture, even if “
it will not return their mother to her daughters,
” sighs Claire Auber, a 72-year-old pensioner.
At the call in particular of the SGP Police Unit union, officials also gathered on Monday in front of the police stations in several cities in France.
Like all the colleagues of the victim, René Tardiff, administrative agent who worked with Stéphanie Monfeture for 26 years in the Rambouillet police station, is due back to work on Tuesday.
Without his colleague from La Manche whom he describes as “
discreet, smiling, invested
”.
“
I left on Friday (April 23) at noon,
” he recounts.
"
I said to Stéphanie"
Happy holidays and May 4th! "
because she was going on vacation the following week
”.
► To read also: Rambouillet attack: three people in custody, the blurred profile of the assailant
The 17th Islamist terrorist action committed in France since 2014 against the police
Everything changed a few hours after René left at 2:25 p.m.
When Stéphanie Monfeture returns to the police station after having regularized the parking disk of her vehicle, she is attacked by a man who "
rushes behind her in the
entrance
hall
", described Sunday the national anti-terrorism prosecutor, Jean-François Ricard .
He then stabbed him twice "
in the abdomen and in the throat
" and according to witnesses shouted "
Allah Akbar
".
The official, who was not armed, died on the spot despite the intervention of the firefighters.
A Marseillaise taken in chorus by the crowd comes to close this tribute ceremony ...
Report to the town hall of Rambouillet
Pierre Olivier
The assailant, shot by a police officer, was identified as Jamel Gorchene, a 36-year-old Tunisian, radicalized "
hardly questionable
" and presenting "
certain personality disorders
", according to Mr. Ricard, who described the attack. as “
the 17th Islamist terrorist action committed in France since 2014 against the police
”.
► To read also:
Rambouillet attack: the executive prepares the response
Friday and Saturday, four people were taken into custody: Jamel Gorchene's father, who lived with him in Rambouillet, a couple living in Val-de-Marne who resided administratively and another cousin.
On Sunday, another of his cousins was also taken into custody.
The couple was released Sunday at the end of the day "
without prosecution at this stage
", according to a judicial source.
Jamel Gorchene, delivery driver, had no criminal record and was unknown to the intelligence and justice services.
But its modus operandi corresponds to recurring calls from the Islamic State (IS) group to attack the police.
This attack put the terrorist threat back on the top of the political agenda. A bill which endorses and strengthens measures already tested in the area of intelligence and anti-terrorism will be presented on Wednesday by Gérald Darmanin in the Council of Ministers. With 19 articles, this text aims to give "
a permanent character
" to the measures tested within the framework of the law on internal security and the fight against terrorism (Silt), voted in October 2017 to leave the state of emergency in force after the attacks of 2015, explains to the Ministry of the Interior.
"
From the fight against Islamist terrorism, we will not give up anything
", tweeted Friday Emmanuel Macron who visited the family of the victim on Saturday, "
very upset and very dignified
", declared the Elysee.
(With
AFP
)
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