Assault or self-harm? The deputy mayor of Saint-Côme-du-Mont (Manche), who had recently said he was the victim of several attacks, including an imaginary one, was found this Wednesday injured in the face, hands and feet nailed, a-t- we learned from the Coutances prosecutor’s office.
“Bernard Denis was found around 12:30 p.m. in a field near the village hall, injured in the face and with nails driven into the tops of his hands and into each of his heels”, according to Michaël Giraudet, public prosecutor. He “was transported to the Saint Lô hospital center to receive the necessary care” and undergo “medico-legal examinations” according to the prosecution.
An investigation for aggravated violence was entrusted to the Saint-Lô research brigade with the support of the criminal investigation unit of the national gendarmerie.
Other attacks denounced in the past, including at least one fictitious
The profile of the victim, however, questions. Of the three procedures opened in recent months for acts denounced by this elected official, two were dismissed and for the third, the man admitted having lied, according to the same source. Bernard Denis had already declared himself the victim of attacks on several occasions in recent months.
Two procedures, for the fire of his garage and his vehicle as well as death threats, “were the subject of a classification without follow-up for lack of identification of a potential author”, specifies Michaël Giraudet, indicating that “the very numerous and very long investigations carried out” did not allow “to implicate anyone”.
Another investigation, concerning two shootings at the mayor’s van in May 2022, “determined that Bernard Denis had lied. Heard in June 2022, he admitted having shot himself in his van and having invented this attack, ”continues the prosecutor. Prosecuted for these facts for “denunciation of an imaginary crime”, he will appear according to the procedure for prior recognition of guilt (CRPC) in the coming weeks.