Six months after its creation in Nanterre, in the Paris suburbs, the center dedicated to serial or unsolved crimes drew up this Tuesday afternoon the balance sheet of its activity. An activity that has increased considerably in recent months. From 7 cases last May, we have gone to 37 currently being handled by this center dedicated to “cold cases”.
The disappearance of little Marion Wagon in 1996, the investigation into Le Grêlé, a policeman suspected of several murders, or even the disappearances of the A6. The “cold cases” division hopes to solve 37 cases. Around forty others will be added by the end of the year, including the slaughter of Chevaline.
At this rate, and with only 3 investigating judges, the center will not be able to deal with much more. ” In June of next year, we will be at the maximum level of operation of the pole, warns Benjamin Depariss, president of the court of Nanterre. It would be unreasonable to go beyond 30 cases per firm, when you have 30 cases like that, extremely heavy with particularly complex investigations, you have to be completely 100%. »
Especially since the investigating judges and the prosecution will have to invent a working method with regard to “criminal routes”, a novelty. Instead of starting from a case, we start from a criminal whose life we retrace. ” The idea is to follow his journey to try to identify the elements, even sometimes tenuous, which will allow us to make a link with this or that procedure. “, explains Pascal Prache, public prosecutor.
The two court officials cannot say when the first case will be resolved. But they are well aware that the expectations of the families of the victims are very high.