Mayor refuses to give Christmas check to family of rioter who damaged police station

2023-12-25 18:13:39

By EC

Posted 15 minutes ago

Didier Gonzales, LR mayor of Villeneuve-le-Roi, in 2018. THOMAS SAMSON / AFP

For the elected LR of Villeneuve-le-Roi, Didier Gonzales, it is “not for the penalized Villeneuvois” to give “an exceptional gift” to the family.

The decision is radical and assumed on the part of this elected official from Val-de-Marne. The LR mayor of Villeneuve-le-Roi, Didier Gonzales, refused to grant a Christmas check to a family in his town where one of his sons was involved in this summer’s riots. The Central Social Activities Fund of Villeneuve-le-Roi is offering 40 euros at the end of the year to single people, 50 euros to couples, 60 euros to households of three or even 70 euros for families of four.

«I wanted to be able to tell this family why they wouldn’t get this Christmas present, explained the elected official to BFM Paris Île-de-France, I summoned them so that there would be no doubt. It is entirely consistent that we do not contribute, with the money of all the penalized Villeneuvois residents, to give him an exceptional gift for Christmas.».

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Twelve months suspended

Last June, riots broke out in reaction to the death of young Nahel, shot dead by police in Nanterre. The family’s 19-year-old son was among the participants and received a 12-month suspended prison sentence on November 30 for defacing a municipal police station in Villeneuve-le-Roi. He is also required to complete a citizenship course, at his own expense. But the young man assured RTL that he “does notnothing broken» and that he was simply standing next to the police station.

Faced with this situation, the young person says he is ready to discuss with the mayor to convince him to reverse his decision. “It’s not because I did something stupid that my mother has to pay the consequences. If it’s a minor, it’s up to the parents to pay. I am an adult and it is up to me to pay the costs», recognizes the son of the family. Among residents, this decision by the mayor is far from unanimous, according to BFMTV: “It wasn’t the family who wanted to do this.»