The 22-year-old soldier, suspected of having killed his partner near Saumur with a knife, was indicted and placed in pre-trial detention, the Angers prosecutor’s office said on Monday. “He was indicted for murder aggravated by partner and aggravated violence and placed in pre-trial detention”, said the prosecutor of the Republic of Angers, Eric Bouillard.
The body of the 27-year-old victim was found early in the morning on Saturday in Bellevigne-les-Châteaux (Maine-et-Loire), near Saumur, on the landing of a small building. The young woman was also a soldier, in the 2nd regiment of Dragons of Fontevraud. They had been living with his companion’s brother for several days.
Already three legal proceedings
Without a criminal record so far, the young man is facing three separate legal proceedings for violence against his companion and against his brother, intervened during the year 2021. He must appear in correctional in Lorient, Le Mans and Saumur in January, March and June 2022 within the framework of these cases.
This violence earned him a placement under judicial supervision prohibiting him from coming into contact with the victim, who was not respected. “The victim himself was getting back in touch with the author. They had resumed their life together, ”said Éric Bouillard. The suspect and the victim had entered into a romantic relationship nine months before the incident. The suspect’s brother was also a soldier in the 2nd Fontevraud Dragoon Regiment, the same as the victim’s.
“The facts were recognized without any difficulty”
During the night of December 31 to January 1, the suspect became aggressive and violent with his brother as well as with the victim. While his brother was leaving the house and warning the gendarmes, the suspect stabbed his partner several times on the landing of the apartment. He was arrested a few hundred meters from the crime scene.
“The facts were recognized without any difficulty,” said Olivier Rolland, lawyer for the respondent. According to him, the scene took place during a “very very alcoholic evening” against a backdrop of “family problems and jealousy”. Tahitian by origin, military since 2018 and currently attached to the 2nd Marine Infantry Regiment (RIMA) of Le Mans, the suspect was “very marked by his stay in Mali” as part of Operation Barkhane, according to his lawyer, who reported a “change of attitude” since returning from overseas operations.