In a very rare public speech, the president of the court of Marseille called Monday to "the measure" after the words of the boss of the police who estimated that a police officer had "no place in prison before a possible trial". Stressing that "the independence of justice is a constitutional principle", Olivier Leurent calls in a statement "to the measure so that the judicial institution can continue the investigations essential to the investigation free from pressure and impartiality".
Suspected of having beaten a young man on the sidelines of the riots in early July in the second city of France, four officials of the anti-crime brigade were indicted on the night of Thursday to Friday. One of them was placed in pre-trial detention, a decision that aroused the anger of the unions and a protest movement within the Marseille police stations in particular. "The contested decision was taken by an independent magistrate, after an adversarial debate during which each of the parties was able to express themselves freely," insists the president of the court.
He specifies in passing that the police officer has appealed his incarceration and that the investigating chamber of the Court of Appeal of Aix-en-Provence will rule "soon". "In the meantime, it is everyone's responsibility to guarantee the serenity of the course of justice," insists Olivier Leurent.
" READ ALSO Minimum service, sick leave: the provisional detention of a police officer leads to protests among the police
"Knowing that I am in prison keeps me up at night"
The victim, Hedi, a 21-year-old man, said he was beaten by a group of four to five people he identified as Bac police officers after being shot in the temple by LBD. The President of the Republic, Emmanuel Macron, said Monday understand the "emotion" of the police. Recalling that "no one in the Republic was above the law", the President of the Republic refused to comment on the statements of Frédéric Veaux, Director General of the National Police (DGPN).
The latter had said Sunday evening wish the release of the policeman of the BAC of Marseille. "Knowing in prison prevents me from sleeping," said Frédéric Veaux, in an interview with Le Parisien-Aujourd'hui in France, adding: "In general, I consider that before a possible trial, a police officer has no place in prison, even if he may have committed serious mistakes or errors in the course of his work."