At the Théo trial, named after this young black man who was arrested in February 2017 in Aulnay-sous-Bois and left crippled for life, the main accused defended himself this Wednesday, January 17, of having struck a blow. disproportionate “.
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When Marc-Antoine Castelain intervened on February 2 in Aulnay-sous-Bois to participate in the control of a group of young people in the city of 3,000, he already had his telescopic defense stick in his hand. The tone immediately rises between the protagonists.
“ Everything is happening very quickly. A quick scuffle », Describes the 34-year-old peacekeeper on the stand. Théo Luhaka « grabs me by the collar, in a virulent way », he continues, without being able to justify the victim’s behavior.
His colleague then proceeds to question the young, athletic man. He brings her to the ground and falls. “ I come to help », Explains the main accused, a small build with thin glasses. With his baton, he pat on the arms “, ” on muscle mass » then on “ the upper thigh to make it flex “. “ Are you used to targeting the gluteal muscle? », asks the president of the court. “ It’s a gesture that I’m not used to doing (…) I learned at school. He is taller than me », justifies the agent, who displays a height of 1.75 m and specifies that he does not “ not necessarily bodybuilding “.
“ Something that haunts me »
His “thrusting blow”, more precisely his blow with the tip of his baton, causes Théo Luhaka’s sphincter to rupture. The wound is ten centimeters deep. “ Every day I think about Mr. Luhaka’s injury, it’s something that haunts me “, entrusts the agent, tried with two of his colleagues. “ I prayed that he would recover. I caused a painful injury without intending to do it “. It’s not ” not a disproportionate blow », continues the civil servant, who has since been transferred to an administrative position in a police station in the North, where he is from.
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Once arrested and handcuffed, Théo Luhaka takes “ a slap “. The scene was captured by the city’s video surveillance system. “ A gesture that is not regulatory, not ethical », admits the official in court. And ” under the tunnel effect “, THE ” stress “, For ” to go out » his colleague, he also hits the victim’s head with the tip of his baton.
Finally the young man, 22 years old at the time, was transported to the police station to be placed in police custody. His face, t-shirt and buttocks are bloody. The back seat of the police vehicle is also stained. He has difficulty sitting down. “ I did not notice. I didn’t notice that he was in pain somewhere. He never expresses this pain », Said the accused, who risks up to fifteen years in prison.
Despite two surgeries, Théo Luhaka still suffers from incontinence.
(With AFP)