On May 16, Christine* was convicted by the court for having defrauded her loved ones of nearly 500,000 euros. One of his victims testifies to the spiral suffered for 4 years.
“Being recognized as a victim helps you move on, but there is still a taste of unfinished business in this matter. As much as we try to forget, there isn’t a month that I won’t think about it”.
On May 16, the court rendered its deliberate concerning Christine* who defrauded his loved ones of nearly 500,000 euros to satisfy his passion for online games.
Vincent* was one of his victims for more than two years. On the day of the hearing, he whispers to her: “good defeat”, before it begins. A awaited trial after years of proceedings, waiting and dismissal. “Now we hope that the court decision will cancel the debts it created for us”.
Because in addition to having lost a good number of savings, Vincent* and his family have “a good ten credits”which are claimed by creditors.
She says she works for general services
It was barely an adult when Vincent, his brother and sister, met Christine at the driving school as a instructor. “She regularly asked us questions about our private sphere during our driving hours, whether about our situation or our parents…” While at the same time, the parents of the three children had just divorced.
A few weeks later, the instructor invites the whole family to a barbecue at the driving school. “There, I begin to see that the relationships are different, until the moment she comes to live with us and she starts a relationship with my mother”. A shock for Vincent. “I didn’t endorse it at all! There are too many elements that are difficult to accept: the divorce is recent, my mother is starting up with a woman and on top of that she is my instructor!”he justifies.
Faced with the young man’s reluctance, the instructor is generous : gifts, outings… “She even promises me a car.” Christine will also find in Vincent his first job at the factory. “After a while, we end up creating a bond with her. And then we get fooled”he still regrets.
Especially since the one who “part of the family” at this time ensures she has cancer and creates more empathy around her. As for her professional activities, she says she works “for general services“, with as proof documents, which turn out to be forgeries, signed by Christophe Castaner (who is in 2018, Minister of the Interior, Editor’s note). “She told us that she received a lot of money, she showed us pay slips, documents, everything was probable!” As for his moments devoted to online arcade games, again all his actions are justified: “It’s calculus, it’s for my work.”
“Looking back, nothing was normal”
Then one day, she suggested to the man who now works at the factory to do “to bear fruit” his money. “I lived with my mother, I had a good salary that I put aside and she offered me even more, it was a good opportunity for me”. So Vincent lets himself be tempted, trusting in the IT and financial knowledge of his former instructor.
In 2019, at the end of his vacation in Marrakech with his girlfriend, the young man received a message from the bank, indicating that his account is blockedthat he can no longer access it and that he can no longer make any payments. “I don’t understand that. I had 30,000 euros in savings and suddenly I only have 7 euros left.”
At the same time, his grandparents and his father realize that many elements are disturbing and begin to seek information from institutions. “They went to the hospital and eventually figured out that she never had the cancer she made us believe, that she actually has RSA and that she has never worked for general services”.
If all these revelations are a real bolt from the blue for Vincent and the whole family, an intuition has always touched him. “Looking back, nothing was normal. As soon as I wanted to go to the bank, she would come pick me up from work then we would go for a drink, she would deflect every thorny subject but it was details that we didn’t pay attention to”still makes those who try, years later, to rebuild themselves feel guilty. “The 30,000 euros was all my savings. From one day to the next, I lost everything”.
In total, the embezzled funds amount more than 200,000 euros for his family. A sum that everyone doubts they will ever see again. But there is at least one victory: that of being recognized as a victim, of knowing that she is condemned, and “only victims, there are no more”.
Deliberation of his sentence
On May 16, Christine* was sentenced to 12 months in prison with a 2-year probationary suspension. She will also be required to work, to treat herself psychologically and to reimburse the damage she has caused. Vincent* must be compensated in the amount of 10,000 euros.
