Gwladys Laffitte 6:22 a.m., October 26, 2021

Europe 1 spoke with Daniel and Alain, the sons of Mireille Knoll, a Jewish octogenarian killed at her home in March 2018. As the trial of the two accused of her murder opens Tuesday at the Paris Assize Court, the victim's children give themselves up and demand "fair punishment" for the main suspect, Yacine Mihoub.

TESTIMONY

"There are no words in French to describe what one can feel."

Before the start of the trial for the murder of Mireille Knoll on Tuesday, the two children of the octogenarian Jewish woman stabbed in 2018 testified at the microphone of Europe 1 to confide their feelings on this "difficult course" that is this judicial moment at the Paris Assize Court.

Without real "illusions" about the repentance of the two main defendants, whom they qualify as "monsters" and people who are not "human beings".

A "feeling of guilt"

For Daniel and Alain Knoll, the memory of this evening of March 2018 in the 10th arrondissement of the capital is still very present. "The day of his murder, I was with my mother and I saw her murderer", explains Alain about Yacine Mihoub, son of a neighbor who had known the octogenarian since childhood and the main accused of the murder. "When I left after giving him a bite to eat, I felt uncomfortable because I did not appreciate the way he behaved, as if he was at home in the apartment. my mother."

"An hour after I left I called to find out if he was gone and my mom said 'no, no, he's still here, he's drinking a port with me.' And then, every hour, I called, "continues Alain Knoll.

"Every time I called, my mother would answer me, until she didn't answer. I wasn't responsible for it, but I have a feeling of guilt. I shouldn't have had it. leave alone with this guy. "

Alain and Daniel Knoll (credits Gwladys Laffitte / Europe 1)

That "only one desire, to destroy them"

Three and a half years later, Alain Knoll will find Yacine Mihoub, as well as another accused, Alex Carrimbacus, at the Paris Assize Court. "It will do me good to be able to understand what happened. For me, he's not a human being, so I'm not going to speak to him (Yacine Mihoub, editor's note). want fair punishment and want him to remember his act for the rest of his life. "

His brother, Daniel, approaches this "course" differently: "When you have two monsters in front of you, you only want to destroy them", he says.

"If ever there is one of the two who has a moment of humanity, maybe he can say he's sorry and never should have done that. But I'm not kidding myself. They are monsters and I expect nothing from them. "

The "horror" of not being able to say goodbye to Mireille Knoll

He does not understand this gesture, this murder whose anti-Semitic nature was retained by the investigating judges in their order of indictment, in July 2020. “Why, why, why?” Repeats Daniel Knoll.

“Someone who has known my mother since she was eight years old and whom she cherished and loved, why did you hurt her so much? It's unbearable and incomprehensible. He not only stabbed her and then burned her. , but we couldn't even kiss her. The horror. "

The trial is scheduled until November 10.