Adama Traoré case: after new testimonies, judges order additional medical expertise

Five after the young man's death, the Adama Traoré affair continues to tear the experts apart.

This file, which has become a symbol of the denunciation of police violence, is experiencing a new twist: the investigating judges responsible for the investigation into the death of the young Adama in 2016 following his arrest by the gendarmes, ordered a additional medical expertise.

And for good reason, investigators have collected new testimonies and medical elements, AFP learned on Saturday from a source close to the case.

This supplement was requested on June 30 from the four Belgian doctors who had submitted a new report in January, supposed to settle the battle of contradictory expertises at the heart of the investigation.

The Belgian experts had concluded that the death of this young black man, on July 19, 2016 in the Persan barracks (Val-d'Oise), had been caused, on this hot day, by a "heat stroke" which However, 'probably' would not have been fatal without his arrest under the weight of the three gendarmes.

"It's as if his body is not reacting"

Since then, investigators have finally been able to interview a direct witness in March, the man who had helped Adama Traoré to escape after a first arrest.

“Adama was out of breath (…) I'm not used to seeing him out of breath, but it's true that when I intervened, I was a little surprised to see him tired”, said this man, who had known him since childhood.

“It's like his body isn't responding.

(…) For me, he was in an unusual state, he did not speak, ”said this witness.

This man added that Adama Traoré had left "walking", which was confirmed by an employee of the town hall who witnessed the scene.

The gendarme, who had sprained his ankle in the fight with the two men, had not pursued him.

The investigators also seized Adama Traoré's medical file in occupational medicine, produced when he was hired by an integration association in 2014. Placed under seal and sent to the experts, it has not at this stage been communicated to lawyers, due to medical confidentiality.

A work stoppage was also found for the period from June 2 to 18, 2014, without the reason being mentioned in the file.

Read alsoFive minutes to understand the Adama Traoré affair

A former Pôle Emploi advisor also reported to investigators that she had been informed of Adama Traoré's shortness of breath problems which would have justified a change of assignment.

But among the fifteen former officials or former workers of the association interviewed, none has confirmed this element.

A march for Adama scheduled for Saturday

The experts must say by August 31 if these new elements have "vocation to modify" their initial conclusions, which also evoked the role played, "to a lesser extent", by a genetic disease and a rare pathology from which Adama suffered. Traore.

Five years after the events, the mobilization calling for “Justice for Adama” is not empty.

A new tribute march organized by the “The Truth for Adama” committee will be held this Saturday at 2 pm from Persan station (Val-d'Oise).

A mobilization that comes after recent information from Mediapart according to which three of the gendarmes who arrested the young man of 24 years were decorated in September 2019.