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Mysterious suicide of a restaurateur: the impossible mourning of the Belkacem family

2020-08-28T04:19:24.906Z


Why would a charismatic and wealthy restaurateur commit suicide using a razor blade? Several of his relatives refuse to go


Did Belkacem Semane really commit suicide in Franconville (Val-d'Oise) on a winter day in 2019? Three of his relatives - his brother, his sister and his eldest son - doubt it so much that they filed a complaint on July 6 for "intentional homicide committed with premeditation". One way to push justice to reopen an investigation and dig unexplored tracks while the suicide thesis, quickly accepted, has never been questioned so far. "This complaint, without constitution of civil party, is being processed, said Eric Corbaux, the prosecutor of the Republic of Pontoise. No judicial information has been opened as it stands. "

The case dates back to February 12, 2019. In the early evening, the lifeless body of this 44-year-old man was found in his son's apartment, lying on a sofa, his arms and neck apparently slashed. using a razor blade. Beside him, a few bundles of banknotes, stamps which may at first glance resemble ecstasy, a wedding photo and a handwritten farewell letter in which the author asks forgiveness from his wife, his children and " to all who love me ”. "I did not have the strength to survive the future as it is emerging", it is written. But is Belkacem really the author of these lines? If so, was he able to write them under duress? No graphological expertise was performed to answer these questions.

A righteous boss, a suffering husband

The personality investigation of the deceased draws the portrait of a man with two faces. On the tails, this father of six children, born in Algeria, presents himself as a successful restaurateur, owner of six establishments in the Val-d'Oise: four Au Bureau brasseries, a Hippopotamus and an Italian restaurant. A small flourishing empire which employs more than 150 people and generates an annual turnover of more than 10 million euros. Athletic, attentive to his physical appearance, concerned about the sustainability of his business, Mr. Semane disseminates to his employees the image of a boss "right but who does not make feelings".

On the other side, Ben, as his entourage calls him, is nevertheless a man in great suffering, devastated by the break that looms with his wife. Three weeks before her death, on January 25, she announced her intention to divorce him. The result of a recent deterioration in their relationship, against a backdrop of reciprocal deceptions. The previous summer, the wife discovered, on a video, that her husband frolic with a young woman during a stay in Marrakech (Morocco). Conversely, Belkacem understands during the month of January that his trusted man, in life and at work, has a sentimental relationship with his wife. He asks his wife for explanations, an argument breaks out. Belkacem is accused by his wife of having threatened her with a knife, which he strongly contests. In the following days, the father of the family is placed under judicial control, with a ban on returning to the marital home.

Negative toxicological analyzes

Desperate, rejected by some of his young children, the restaurant owner is beset by dark thoughts. He confides in his eldest son, who has remained close to him, the confused desire to end his life but without committing a proven suicide attempt. When in doubt, the eldest son, with whom he took refuge, removed all sharp objects from the apartment. An element of context which reinforced, in the eyes of the police, the hypothesis of a suicide on February 12, 2019.

The autopsy placed the time of death between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. and confirmed the presence of sixteen wounds, five on the neck and eleven on the forearms in the region of the bend of the left and right elbows. So many cuts located in areas “suggestive of self-inflicted injuries”. Four of them, the deepest, are suspected of having caused the fatal hemorrhagic shock. The medical examiner's report also points to the absence of any other injury that would be caused by recent violence. Finally, all the toxicological analyzes are negative: the deceased did not take drugs or alcohol in the hours preceding his death. The only downside however, the autopsy does not allow a categorical conclusion to be drawn on the causes of death.

Doubts around the origin of the razor blade

The complainants point to two main gray areas. First, the key to the apartment occupied by Belkacem Semane which must have been in his possession has never been found. However, the apartment was locked when her son and a relative discovered her body. Could someone have entered the premises during the day? Then, the origin of the razor blade used to cut the veins also raises questions. According to the testimony of one of his employees, Mr. Semane would have asked him on January 30, 2019 to buy him razor blades. The latter would have complied in the following hours then would have given him two boxes of Wilkinson razor blades the same day. Problem, according to checks carried out by Belkacem's sister Semane, the model in question, double-edged, is not available in stores, only on the Internet with a delivery time incompatible with the employee's version.

“My clients believe that the investigation carried out in the days following the death of Mr. Semane was much too rapid and superficial, supports Me Geraldine Vallat. Some people, including those close to the deceased, did not tell the police everything and would deserve to be heard again. In any case, there are too many unanswered questions to do without a thorough search for the truth. "

Source: leparis

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