The Tamaris school, burnt down in Béziers – LODI Franck / SIPA
- October 31, 2019, Halloween night, was marked by a lot of violence in Béziers.
- An arson had partially destroyed the primary school of Tamaris, in the district of Devèze.
- Five people, three minors at the time of the facts and two adults, are being prosecuted in the context of this case, the investigation of which is still ongoing.
A fifth person was indicted in connection with the fire at the Tamaris primary school on October 31, 2019 in Béziers. Aged 20, he was taken into police custody on April 7 “at the end of the investigations carried out by the DTPJ police”, explains the public prosecutor of Béziers.
While in police custody, he allegedly explained that he was present at the scene on the evening of the fire, but denied having directly participated in the events. He was indicted in particular of the counts of “destruction in an organized band of the property of others by a means dangerous for the people” and “participation in a criminal association with a view to the preparation of a crime”. But also “ambush in a meeting” with the aim of committing “violence with the use or threat of a weapon and violence on a person holding public authority”.
Four previous indictments
The judge of detention freedoms then ordered his placement in pre-trial detention, in accordance with the prosecution’s requisitions.
On June 26, 2020, two adolescents then aged 15 and 17 and a young man of 19 were indicted in this case. The judge of detention freedoms then ordered the placing under judicial supervision of the 15-year-old boy with in particular the ban on appearing in the Hérault and the obligation of a follow-up by the judicial protection of young people. The 17-year-old minor and the adult had been remanded in custody.
A night of violence
On October 31, 2019, Halloween night, the city of Béziers was the start of several fire starts, especially in the Devèze district. Firefighters and police had been lured into ambushes, where they had been stoned. In other parts of the city, it was motorists who had been the target of stone throwing.
From November 1, a 15-year-old minor was arrested. At the end of his police custody, he was indicted and placed in pre-trial detention. In the context of arson in an organized gang, the penalty incurred is 20 years’ imprisonment and a fine of 150,000 euros. These penalties are halved for minors.