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A man from Russia, with a disturbing migratory journey, appeared on May 6 before the Tarbes court for intra -family violence. But also for having illegally kept in France despite an obligation to leave the territory.
“I have never been violent.” A man of Russian origin, installed in the Hautes-Pyrénées for several months, appeared on May 6 before the Criminal Court of Tarbes for acts of intra-family violence, and for having illegally maintained himself on French territory.
Despite an obligation to leave the country issued in 2022, the man founded a blended family in France. But the children of his partner accuse him of having violated them, as well as their mother, and of having exerted a religious pressure on the whole of the family.
A jihadist sympathizer?
Before arriving in France in February 2020, the man resided for a long time in Switzerland. “Your residence permit has been withdrawn due to suspicion of radicalization, and support for a jihadist group,” reported the president of the court. “The Swiss authorities have ordered your expulsion to Russia and pronounced the ban on the Schengen space for 15 years.”
Only, the man decided otherwise and entered France illegally. At the same time, he filed an asylum application, rejected, then a request before the European Court of Human Rights. “The Court asked the French authorities to stay your expulsion while waiting for its decision,” said the magistrate.
Placed twice in an administrative detention center, the man still met a woman with whom he had two children. Mother of two daughters and a boy, from a previous union, the latter first lived with him in the Paris region.
When an anonymous call reached the number “childhood in danger” in 2022. “Your beautiful girls told the social services that you were violent with them and their mother” said the judge. “But a few days later, the whole family turned around.”
According to the defendant, everyone left for Switzerland where the children were educated. “But it was too cold, the girls had skin problems. So we came back to France,” he said.
-More specifically in Tarbes, where another report of violence was communicated to the police station in February 2025. Once again, the three Beaux-Children of the accused spoke of an climate of tension, an authoritarian stepfather, humiliating towards their mother, daily insulted of “whore”, “big cow” or even “prostitute”. And to denounce slaps and other access to anger.
Assisted by an interpreter, the man denied as a whole. “Raised conversations, yes, but never blows.” He said that adolescents never accepted his presence, and that tensions came from their conflictual relationship with their mother.
A divided family
At the helm, the mother melted in tears and provided unfailing support to her companion. If she recognized insults on both sides, she challenged the words of her children according to which she is the victim of domestic violence.
For her, her own mother would have manipulated adolescents in order to obtain their guard and a larger accommodation in Paris.
For the public prosecutor, this file is however unambiguous. “A man in denial, a woman victim of violence, a strong religious hold. He never recognized anything.” One year of imprisonment has been required, maintaining detention, withdrawing parental authority, and a final ban on French territory.
The defense, carried by Me Maeva Sampaio, highlighted the contradictions of testimonies and the absence of material evidence. “It is judged on confused declarations of adolescents in conflict with their stepfather.”
The court followed the prosecutor’s requisitions. The man was taken to the remand center at the end of the hearing.
