Nordahl Lelandais was placed on Tuesday October 6 under the status of witness assisted by the investigating judges, at the end of his hearing at the Grenoble courthouse in the investigation into the possible rape of Maëlys De Araujo.
He thus escapes indictment in this part of the case, yet desired by the prosecution.
To read also: The family of Maëlys claims that Nordahl Lelandais be indicted for "rape" and "murder"
The status of assisted witness is legally placed between that of witness and that of indictment.
It means that there are clues that could lead to believe in his guilt.
But this is a weaker presumption than in the event of an indictment, for which there must be
"serious or concordant evidence" that
may make the guilt of the accused plausible, specifies the code of criminal procedure.
Nordahl Lelandais, 37, remains indicted for the murder of little Maëlys, killed at the end of August 2017 at the end of a wedding party in Pont-de-Beauvoisin (Isère), but the prosecution did not succeed to make prevail his will to send him also before the Assize Court of Isère for rape.
A former cell neighbor, who had affirmed that Nordahl Lelandais had confided to him having intentionally killed and raped the girl, was present during this hearing.
The former dog handler is also indicted for sexual assault on three little cousins.
He will also face a trial for the murder in April 2017 of Corporal Arthur Noyer, then 23.
This is scheduled from May 3 to 12, 2021 before the Assize Court of Savoy.