Eight months after the discovery of Aurélie Vaquier's body under a concrete slab at her home in Bédarieux (Hérault), investigations are continuing to shed light on the circumstances of her death.
According to information from
Midi-Libre
, the conclusions of the autopsy favor "
death by
pressure on the carotid artery
", that is to say a form of strangulation.
The lawyer for the victim's family indicates to
Le Figaro
his intention to request a reclassification of the facts as "
murder
", while the companion, in pre-trial detention, is still the main suspect.
To read also "His explanations were inconsistent": who is Samire, the main suspect in the death of Aurélie Vaquier?
Following the discovery of the body last April, a first autopsy was carried out, but the two forensic pathologists had "
not been able to determine with exactness the causes of death
", had indicated the public prosecutor of Béziers, speaking of "
hypotheses which should be kept secret in order to preserve the rest of the investigations
". Since then, new anatomopathology examinations have been carried out and suggest death by strangulation, for example with an arm lock. This technique is known to the victim's companion, Samire L., since he practiced wrestling when he was younger, reports
Midi-Libre
.
The trail of poisoning has been definitively ruled out, toxicological surveys not having found any trace of drugs.
"
Dull anger
"
This is a first step forward for those close to Aurélie Vaquier:
“They have lost a loved one, there is still a form of dull anger among them. Now, they are waiting and want to know exactly what happened
”
,
indicates the lawyer of the family of the victim, Maître Félix Allary. However, the Montpellier lawyer regrets that his clients - Aurélie's brothers, uncle and father - have still not been received by the examining magistrate. He is also surprised that the investigation was not reclassified for facts of assassination, premeditation being, in his eyes, obvious. He will therefore apply for it early next year. Since April, Samire L.is indicted for "
murder of a spouse
»And remanded in custody. He made several requests for release, including a last at Christmas, which was refused by the Montpellier Court of Appeal on Thursday.
During a press conference, the public prosecutor of Béziers had indicated that the death could go back to the date of January 28, 2021, this date provided by the companion as being that of the last sign of life given by the young brunette woman with thin face. Yet he did not officially report his disappearance until three weeks later, on February 23. The couple's accommodation, located on the ground floor of a small building and including a future commercial premises under construction, had been the subject in April of a new in-depth search on the order of the examining magistrate in order to clarify disappearance. The investigators were then "
intrigued
" by "
a small stone and wooden platform
»Covered with cardboard boxes and objects.
Below this platform, a concrete sarcophagus had been pierced, provoking a strong reaction from the search dogs.
The investigative technicians then proceeded to extract the corpse of a woman.
After an investigation for "
worrying disappearance
", a judicial investigation for "
kidnapping and forcible confinement
" was opened on March 1, extended to murder.
To withdraw "
to write a book
"
Aged 39, in the process of divorce and father of two children, Aurélie's companion, who lived there, still claims his innocence.
He declared in police custody "
that it had nothing to do with it
", asserting that his partner had been "
killed by another person
".
By reporting her disappearance, her companion had declared that this young woman turned towards the esotericism had left the marital home without any means of payment or locomotion, with only her mobile phone and some clothes and that she had then sent him a message to express the desire to retire "
to write a book
".
Read alsoDeath of Aurélie Vaquier: her companion indicted for "aggravated murder" and placed in pre-trial detention
Coming from Ain in the summer of 2020, the companion, convicted three times for military and road offenses then a theft, had then met Aurélie Vaquier with whom he had moved in last November in Bédarieux. On the sidelines of the research carried out by the gendarmerie which had in particular launched a call for testimonies with the photo of the disappeared, several beatings in the region of Bédarieux as well as a march had been organized by the family and friendly circle of the young woman. Her relatives never believed in a voluntary departure, while hoping until the last moment that she was still alive.
“
These tragic events sparked debates on violence against women.
This crime is in line with this
”, underlined the prosecutor of Béziers.
“
But it's not just a matter of justice.
Combating violence against women necessarily requires a multidisciplinary fight by the whole of society.
"
