The writings found on his computer are chilling. “I am going to kill my family, go to my old school, kill the children and, finally, put an end to my life,” he wrote, at the beginning of 2023. This 20-year-old Vaudois, tried this Monday in Lausanne, added in a another document: “On my final day, no one at school will be safe. Anyone I see moving, I will try to kill them and I will have absolutely no regrets.” The young man had tried to obtain weapons and a bulletproof vest, on the darknet and social networks, and searched for how to make a bomb.
A white supremacist, follower of SIEGE ideology (read box), he was himself very active on social networks. He praised Nazism and mass killings, and broadcast extremely violent videos. Additionally, he called on his followers to carry out massacres, especially against foreigners and LGBT people. Finally, he explained to a Norwegian individual that if he had not yet taken action, it was because he had not been able to obtain a weapon, for financial reasons.
Arriving at court bound hand and foot, his face hidden behind his long hair, dressed in black pants and a black shirt, the defendant looked like a teenager, skinny and a bit of a geek. Moreover, he admitted that he spent most of his time online and had almost no friends in real life. As for his stay in prison, he emphasizes that the worst part is “the food”, which is not to his taste. As for the accusations against him, in particular his desire to kill at the Collège des Bergières, he admitted that: “It’s serious, very serious. I understood it and I’m not going to do it again.”
Tried under a simplified procedure, he received 30 months in prison, including 14 months in prison. The suspension pronounced for the remaining 16 months is however conditional on the continuation of outpatient psychiatric treatment. “You will now be followed closely,” warned the president of the court, before concluding: “I hope never to see you again or hear from you again.”
The goal is to destroy the system
The defendant was inspired by SIEGE ideology. Based on the writings of American neo-Nazi James Mason, it conveys the idea that governments, Jews and capitalists act against the interests of the white race. Its goal is therefore to destroy the system. With this in mind, she encourages her followers to take action, with few resources, by preparing in an isolated and discreet manner, so as not to be arrested. Perpetrators of violent attacks are then glorified and seen as role models for the cause.
