The young man indicted for the rape at the beginning of March in Rantigny (Oise) of Shanon, who died three weeks later, denies any “violence”, according to his lawyer. The 13-year-old girl “had been hospitalized in serious condition, with a life-threatening prognosis” following a rape, Senlis public prosecutor Loïc Abrial said on Saturday. A forensic autopsy must still determine “precisely the causes of death”.
The 19-year-old suspect was indicted for “rape committed on a 15-year-old minor by an adult with an age difference of at least 5 years”, and placed in pre-trial detention, the prosecutor said. Another young adult and a schoolgirl friend of the victim were indicted for failure to prevent this crime. None has a criminal record.
Invited to a friend’s house
“My client had reason to think that she was older, and their relationship was reciprocal,” argued the lawyer for the main defendant, Me Caty Richard. “He never used any violence or coercion against Shanon,” she assured, indicating “to await medical explanations for this death”.
The referral to the investigating judge was extended following the death of the young girl to the classification of rape leading to death. According to Frédéric Le Bonnois, lawyer for the victim’s family, Shanon spent the afternoon of March 6 at a friend’s house, “with the parents’ agreement.” The latter, aged 14, “would have contacted two older people, aged 18 and 19, on social networks”, who then joined them at her home.
In a coma until his death
Shanon was then raped and “perhaps the victim of an act of barbarity” since she was the victim of cardiorespiratory arrest, says Me Le Bonnois. Transported to hospital, “she never recovered her senses, she remained in a coma” until her death, specifies the lawyer.
The schoolgirl indicted was herself “subjected to forced sexual acts during this episode” reported the latter’s lawyer, Me Maxime Gallier, stressing that she had tried to revive her friend.