More than a thousand people gathered in the town of Lardero, in the Spanish Basque Country, according to Le Parisien who consulted the local press.
Protesters paid tribute to Alex, a nine-year-old kidnapped and killed Thursday night while celebrating Halloween.
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Disguised as a character from The Exorcist, the child was in a park in the town when he disappeared, before being found a few hours later, suffocated, at the home of a man who has since become the main suspect. The rescuers could not do anything to prevent the death of Alex, they were unable to resuscitate. The inhabitants, who had gathered to go in search of the child after his disappearance, ended up massing in front of the home of the man who had attracted the attention of a young girl by prowling near the children. He had also observed them beforehand from the window of his apartment.
This man in his fifties has already been convicted of murder in 1997: he had just been released from prison after spending several years in detention for sexual assault on a minor in 1993.
“
I read in the newspaper that this man was paroled nineteen months ago.
I think that in nineteen months, justice could have done something with this individual.
Now we have lost Alex, but it could have affected any little girl,
”said Alex's uncle.
The Minister of the Interior provided personal support to the family.
