He admits to having had "the fear of his life." The mayor of a very small village in Meurthe-et-Moselle, Magnières, less than 300 inhabitants, experienced a terrible attack in the night from Saturday to Sunday. He has just filed a complaint and several people have been arrested, as announced by our colleagues from the East Republican.
It all began in the middle of the night, when, around 2:30 am, the elected official decided to go to the communal hall to intervene when a fight had been reported to him. It is rented by young people from another municipality, who celebrate a birthday there. The chosen one, who lives nearby, decides to go there with friends.
The tone rises quickly and he is slapped before being chased by the occupants. He was finally put on the ground and beaten by seven or eight people, explains the prosecutor of the Republic François Capin-Dulhoste. "When they ran after me, I told myself that it was not possible (...) I did not think that something like this could happen in our small towns, "he regrets at the microphone of France Bleu. He suffers from multiple bruises.
Two young people aged 16 and 18 in police custody
If there is no question of renouncing his mandate, the first magistrate elected in 2020 recognizes that he would need time to recover from this violent attack. According to the Nancy prosecutor's office, two young men aged 16 and 18 were taken into custody. The second was arrested for violence in assembly, insult and threats against a person holding public authority. The minor was heard for death threats and insulting the police during his arrest.
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The investigation will have to try to determine who are the other perpetrators of the beatings and the degree of involvement of each in this beating. This attack comes in a context where violent acts and threats against elected officials are more and more numerous.
Last year, 2265 complaints and reports for verbal violence (threats, insults, insults) or physical violence against elected officials were recorded, up 32% compared to 2021, according to these figures from feedback made by the Ministry of the Interior to the prefectural services. Of these reports, 160 concerned only physical violence,
