The man who had deliberately started a fire in 2019 in Schiltigheim, in the suburbs of Strasbourg, causing the death of an 11-year-old child, was sentenced Thursday to 25 years of criminal imprisonment, AFP learned from his lawyers.
The jurors matched this sentence, in accordance with the requisitions of the Advocate General, a two-thirds security measure, a socio-judicial follow-up of 10 years and an obligation of care, indicated to the AFP Me Caroline Bolla.
His client was also prohibited from going to Schiltigheim, the town where the tragedy took place on the night of September 2 to 3, 2019.
To read also Marseille: three dead and wounded in the fire of a building, the criminal track retained
Tony Mosquera, 24, faced life imprisonment for willful destruction of a building by fire, facts which notably led to the death of one person and the injuries of 12 others.
The victim, an 11-year-old child, was trapped in the flames.
His lifeless body had been discovered by firefighters.
During the investigation, Tony Mosquera had confessed to being the author of this fire which had ravaged a renovated Alsatian house housing social housing on two floors, but without giving any other explanation than his state of drunkenness.
The fire, which had mobilized a hundred firefighters, had completely destroyed 9 of the 43 homes.
"We knew that the recurrence was going to 'stick to his skin'"
He was tried this week at the assizes in a state of recidivism, his record showing before this trial 13 convictions, including four "
for acts of degradation by dangerous means
". He had notably tried to burn down a nursery school when he was only 12 years old. The psychiatric experts had, however, concluded that there was no "
psychological disturbance
" in him.
At the start of the trial on Monday, he explained that he had lost his job and broke up with his partner shortly before the tragedy. He had also indicated that he had smoked cannabis and consumed alcohol before the events and had not been “
aware
” of being in an apartment building when it had set it on fire. "
At no time did he suspect that he was going to cause the death of a young boy and all the other prejudices,
" said Caroline Bolla, who had pleaded for a more lenient sentence of 20 years in prison. "
We had less hope for the verdict but we knew that the recurrence was going to 'stick to his skin',
" she told AFP after the trial. "
Very clearly that's what played.
His first hot reaction is not to appeal, but we will review the point with him next week.
"
“
25 years is a figure that is still 'ringing', even if he has always said that he deserves a sentence,
” reacted his other counsel, Me Charlotte Barby.
“
The fire is voluntary but it never had a homicidal intention, it never wanted to kill a child, it always said it.
He said it again at the trial, he told the family,
”insisted Mr. Barby.