Christophe Hondelatte reacts to the controversy sparked by his comments on the Lola affair

Saturday November 23, Christophe Hondelatte was the main guest of “C l'hebdo” on France 5. On the set of the program hosted by Aurélie Casse, the journalist and host on Europe 1 commented on the recent trial of Pierre Palmade then reacted to the moving testimony of the mother of Lola, 12, found dead on October 12, 2022, in a trunk in front of her Parisian building in the 19th arrondissement. Next year, the suspect Dahbia Benkired, a 26-year-old Algerian national subject to an OQTF (obligation to leave French territory), will be tried at the assizes for murder of a child under fifteen and rape with torture and act of barbarity.

Alongside the grieving mother, Christophe Hondelatte first wanted to warn her that the murderer of his daughter, hospitalized in the unit for difficult patients (UMD) of a psychiatric hospital in Villejuif (Val-de-Marne), would not would not be in normal condition at his trial. “Unfortunately, it's a safe bet, Madam, that she will be stuffed with medicine and that we will probably be dealing with a ghost, which is often the case with these people. We can't get much out of them. Unfortunately, you are waiting for a truth, I hope for you that there will be one”said the journalist.

“She was never followed in psychiatry. Here we have clear proof that state medical aid is very useful. That is to say, it would have been ideal for this undocumented woman to be treated in a psychiatric ward, for her to take appropriate medication, etc. So here we have clear proof that state medical aid is essential. That these people, even if they are undocumented, also need to be treated, including psychiatric care”he then added.

Comments which aroused the anger of certain viewers. Indeed, since his statements, Christophe Hondelatte has been the target of Internet users. On X, many of them expressed their indignation. Tuesday evening, on the set of “Touche pas à mon poste!”, Gilles Verdez and Thomas Guénolé heatedly argued about this.

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Faced with the flood of messages, the journalist first responded to some of them. But, visibly exasperated, he decided to withdraw from X. “I took the time to respond to the less aggressive ones, and to argue as much as I could. I tiptoe away for a few days, while the monstrous horde that fell on me finds another bone to gnaw on!”wrote Christophe Hondelatte on Tuesday evening before deploring: “You won't get me out of the idea that the Twitter algorithm is the great organizer of all this! This place has truly become disgusting. But I won't leave it, if only to keep an eye out for the bastards who seem to have invaded the place. May your night be sweet…”.

In a second message published during the night from Tuesday to Wednesday, the journalist wished “add one last thing”. “I'm speaking to all the idiots who lynched me for two days… You comment on an “excerpt”, edited like all program extracts, to create a “buzz”. I invite you to go watch the replay of the entire show! You will see that the attitude you attribute to me with regard to Lola's mother is very, very, very far from reality. A lot happened before this extract”he stressed. Christophe Hondelatte then made a point of affirming “love, respect and understand this woman”.

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“There was no animosity between us. And I remember above all that she refused, from the start, the miserable recovery that certain hyperactive jerks on this pitiful network imposed on her.he added. And to conclude: “It's my turn to ask you to respect Lola's memory, and the courage of her mother, by stopping recovering this tragedy for the benefit of your rotten ideas. Come on, this time, I’m retiring for good!”