Death of Thomas in Drôme: Borne calls for “restraint and decency”, Véran denounces a “political controversy”

2023-11-23 06:52:09

This is the slogan given to the government. Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne called for “restraint and decency” after the death on Saturday evening of Thomas, a 16-year-old young man, killed during a village ball on Saturday in Crépol (Drôme). Government spokesperson Olivier Véran had earlier denounced a “political controversy” around this tragedy.

“Using this drama to play on fears is a lack of dignity and respect for the victims,” denounced Élisabeth Borne, during questions to the government organized in the Senate.

“Asking questions and providing answers to the French is normal,” said Minister Olivier Véran earlier during the weekly report of the Council of Ministers while criticizing, on the other hand, the desire to “exploit” and “d “trying to exploit a political trial”, “before having the answers to the questions that are asked”.

Nine suspects, suspected of having arrived armed at the village festival, were arrested on Tuesday and placed in police custody. The main suspect, “formally designated as the perpetrator of the fatal stabbing”, lives in “the center” of Romans-sur-Isère and “not the Monnaie district”, one of the city’s housing estates, said the Valence prosecutor. .

The far right mobilized

Since then, right-wing and far-right supporters have multiplied tweets and statements linking this act to immigration. The terms “scum”, “anti-white racism” or even “everyday jihad” were mentioned. For Marine Le Pen, it is “an organized attack, emanating from a certain number of criminogenic suburbs in which there are armed militias carrying out raids”.

Village festivals, weddings, birthday parties… for several years, rural villages have been victims of real raids. Knife attacks, attacks of incredible brutality: the last one left a child dead, a child… No one is safe anymore. Enough is enough ! https://t.co/DtNSnTYncD

— Marine Le Pen (@MLP_officiel) November 20, 2023

Asked about the term “wilding” of society, used on Tuesday by the Minister of the Interior Gérald Darmanin in this affair, Olivier Véran estimated that “it takes more than one word to be able to say things”.

For his part, Olivier Véran assured that he did not want to get into this controversy by leaving it to the courts to communicate on the first elements of the investigation while affirming that “the culprits will be very severely condemned” for this “ atrocious act.”