Since November 13, 2015, Vincent has imagined the scene several times. “I see that moment when I’m done talking. I’m going to turn my back on the court and go. “For this thirty-something, civil party in the trial of the attacks of the Bataclan, the Parisian terraces and the stadium of France, it is not only a question of” testifying “, but also of” depositing “:” It is like relieving oneself of ‘a package, give it to society and then be able to say to yourself “life goes on”. “Victim of the attack committed by Brahim Abdeslam at the Voltaire counter (11th), this Parisian is now” 90% “sure to testify.
Like him, nearly 1,800 victims of the terrorist attacks in Paris and Saint-Denis will be represented at the trial which is due to open on Wednesday. To hear them, the special assize court has already scheduled 150 hours of hearing, spread between the months of September and November. But how to tell the story of his life in turmoil, of those who stopped that evening and why? Crossed by these questions, some victims still hesitate to take the stand.
A preparation phase
Vincent, he thought long and hard about what he wanted to say to the court. “I intend to tell what I experienced that night, of course. But also the consequences of the attack on my life, positive and negative, because it is not all white or all black, ”he explains. At the beginning of the summer, the young man informed his relatives of his willingness to testify. Since then, he has been keen to prepare them: “They risk hearing violent things, which I have never told them. So far, I have put filters on certain parts of my story, but I do not intend to do so during my testimony. “
To facilitate their speaking on D-Day, victims associations have stepped up initiatives aimed at their members. “We do regular check-ins to explain to them who does what in an assize court. Last year, we also took around twenty volunteers to the trial of the January 2015 attacks so that they could see what it looks like, ”explains Arthur Dénouveaux, president of Life for Paris. During the summer, tours of the courtroom, built especially for the occasion inside the courthouse on Île de la Cité, were organized.
“It was an important moment. We were able to learn about the place and see concretely how it was going to happen. The pressure will be particularly strong, so speaking in a place that is already known can help, ”adds Philippe Duperron, president of the 13onze15 association. Media training sessions, to prepare for public speaking, and meetings with civil parties who testified at the trial of the terrorist attacks Charlie-Hebdo and the Hypercacher have also been proposed.
Hesitations and brakes
“We feel that the pressure is mounting. We get more and more specific questions like: “Do I have to ask my employer for a day off the day I have to testify at trial?” », Illustrates Arthur Dénouveaux. If the opening of the hearing is fast approaching, the victims of the attacks of November 13 can signal until the last moment their willingness to testify. “For organizational reasons, the president of the Assize Court is pushing to know as early as possible how many people want to take the stand. The court is currently counting on 30 minutes for 300 victims. Honestly, some will do a lot less and some a lot more. But 150 hours of testimony for 1,800 civil parties is already not bad, ”said the president of Life for Paris.
Despite the preparatory work of the associations, many still hesitate. “The victims who have lost a loved one but who were not there on the evening of the attacks wonder about the value of their testimonies. Some of them say to themselves that they will not bring anything from a legal point of view or on the course of the facts ”, confides Philippe Duperron. Others, explains Arthur Dénouveaux, have the feeling that they have already said everything during reports or interviews granted to the press.
The attitude of the defense lawyers can also be a brake, continues the thirty-something: “They are afraid to go there and be passed on the grill by the lawyers of the camp opposite. We try to educate, but if lawyers are very offensive with experts or witnesses, that could set back some civil parties ”. Vincent, for his part, fears the emotional load to come: “I’m a very emotional person, so I’m going to cry at the bar. I know it. Even though I am used to speaking in public as part of my job, what is going to be difficult to manage is that it is very personal and very intimate. “
Carrying out their voice and those of their loved ones
However, Arthur Dénouveaux knows, this moment is also eagerly awaited among the victims of the attacks. “There are people who have never testified before and who will go. Because this testimony at the bar, in the judiciary, it is the purest testimony. “.
Like Vincent, David Fritz, victim taken hostage by two of the three terrorists at the Bataclan, decided this summer to speak. “I was hesitant, I made the request by saying to myself ‘at worst, I will retract’. Even though I spent six years telling my story, including in a book, this testimony has another weight, ”he believes. To “master” this moment as well as possible, David chose to go through writing. “In general, I manage to express myself without saying bullshit, but now I think I’ll have it read to the most important people around me, my parents and my wife. Because it is also their voice that I intend to carry. “