For several weeks, teenagers from Orvault have been targeted. Worried, families are calling for increased security. Police and municipality are mobilized.
Four days after the events, this father does not lose his temper. On Tuesday, his 13-year-old son was violently attacked near Nantes, leaving school. While he was waiting for his bus, two young people forced him to follow them out of sight. Pinning him against a wall, they then threatened him with a knife and stole a jacket and a designer hat. They didn't want his cell phone, which wasn't an iPhone… “They asked him to kneel down, dance and say sorry. An accomplice was filming”tells the Figarostill upset, the victim's dad. The video was broadcast on the networks. Her teenager was also punched and slapped. He received a five-day ITT and a complaint was filed. “It’s disgusting, and the problem is it can happen again. It's repeated again. They operate in gangs, they know where they are going, where the teenagers have a mark.”he testifies, still shocked.
This scene took place near the Morlière bus stop, in Orvault, a town of 27,000 inhabitants. This case is unfortunately not isolated. A petition posted online on November 22 entitled “Reinforce security around the Orvault Morlière stop”, signed by more than 300 people, states “racketeering or attempted racketeering and threats by organized gangs, including with knives”.
An individual arrested
“Several incidents of violent theft have been recorded by the interdepartmental direction of the national police in recent weeks in the town of Orvault, particularly near avenue de la Morlière”confirms the Loire-Atlantique prefecture. An individual perpetrator was arrested. “The investigation continues to identify possible other perpetrators”while the presence of national and municipal police officers has been reinforced. City mediators also patrol the area.
“These are attacks often committed by several attackers, themselves minors, who drag their victims away”details the mayor of Orvault, Jean-Sébastien Guitton, about these events occurring not far from a college. He evokes “shocking and intolerable attacks”. Aware of the situation and mobilized, he ensures that he is in contact with the interdepartmental director of the national police and the public prosecutor of Nantes to ensure “that all means are deployed to stop this”. He also contacted certain families, whom he encouraged to file complaints.
Debate around video surveillance
“It is essential that urgent measures be taken to strengthen security around this transport line”further states the petition, which describes a phenomenon that has lasted for months. Before this summer, attacks had already taken place not far from there. But above all, parents suggest setting up video surveillance. A wish supported by Sébastien Arrouët, opposition municipal councilor (various right), who would like cameras, linked to the urban supervision center of the metropolis, to be installed in order to have increased surveillance of the square.
The sector already has a camera for bus and tram management, one at a park and ride level and others in the tram. “The police have the possibility of consulting them”Jean-Sébastien Guitton immediately responds. The environmentalist mayor believes that “focusing the debate on this is creating controversy and giving lessons all the time, while the reality on the ground shows that this is not the miracle solution, including for this type of situation”. He cites as an example the wave of burglaries recorded around Nantes, where certain cameras failed to deter thieves. And adds that offenders take care to move away before committing “their atrocities».
In Orvault, there is no video surveillance system in the town. “I am not opposed to cameras in principle”underlines the town councilor, specifying that municipal buildings are, for example, equipped with them. But, “in the context of Orvault, we considered, after analyzing things, that the global deployment of cameras was not the best way to respond to security issues”he persists, anxious to use “public money efficiently”. For him, resolving these problems requires more “police presence” and more human. Faced with serial rackets of the same nature, the city of Nantes was also questioned about strengthening video surveillance a few days ago.
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