At the helm of the La Rochelle Criminal Court, this Tuesday, December 3, this 52-year-old woman has her head down and appears traumatized in front of the president and the assessors. Sitting just behind her on the civil party's bench, her mother, 87 years old, does not look at her. The matter is sensitive first and foremost because it is a family one.
The events took place in Rochefort, from 1is January 2019 to December 21, 2022. It was during this period that the defendant, in financial difficulty due to her casino addiction, took money from her mother in order to cover her losses. The amount misappropriated is significant: the damage is estimated at 37,610 euros.
51 transfers in 2021
How did the defendant proceed? She had access to her mother's bank accounts and took advantage of them to make regular transfers or withdrawals. In court, she claims to have had a banking power of attorney from her mother in 2017, but the latter refutes and says she never gave her consent to this subject.
Before, we were a united family. I didn't think it could come to this
Initially, the amounts embezzled by her daughter are reduced, but time passes and the money is spent more easily. Transfers or direct debits are becoming more and more frequent, as in 2021, a year in which no less than 51 transfers were counted. The sums are very considerable in relation to the victim's income to the extent that he benefits from around 600 euros of retirement pension per month. “The defendant takes almost twice this amount every month and does not see the problem. She used this money for personal purposes,” asserts the public prosecutor.
Filing a complaint against his daughter
The affair deeply divided this family of several children, to the point that two clans were created: the mother's supporters and those of the daughter. Today, the two camps no longer speak to each other. “During a family reunion in 2022, the family noticed these large transfers and a request was made to the defendant to reimburse. She initially accepted before finally refusing. Her mother's complaint therefore occurs in 2023. It is not easy to file a complaint against your daughter,” argues the lawyer for the civil party.
For its part, the defense pleads for acquittal, considering that the mother was aware of the transfers. “The bank power of attorney was signed by the mother. It's been a long time, she might not remember. The signature was not forged. Someone was tracking the bank accounts and no one said anything. Why didn't she file a complaint sooner? There was no need to do it! »
The defendant expressed her feelings before the verdict. “This is the first time I have had to deal with the law. Before, we were a united family. I didn't think it could come to this. »
She was found guilty and given a three-month suspended prison sentence. She will have to reimburse her mother the sum of 37,610 euros and pay a fine of 800 euros for lawyer costs.
