Pierre Palmade appears in court in Melun for the road accident which broke up a family. Faced with the victims, the comedian asks for forgiveness, in a trial which reveals all the distress caused by his driving under drugs.
A high-tension trial for Pierre Palmade
On November 20, 2024, Pierre Palmade faced the reality of his actions. Discreetly entering the Melun court, the 56-year-old comedian appears for “unintentional injuries” after a dramatic accident that occurred in February 2023. Testing positive for cocaine, he faces up to 14 years of imprisonment.
That day, the artist, under the influence of drugs, crashed into a vehicle on a road in the south of Seine-et-Marne. The accident caused serious injuries to three members of the same family: a 38-year-old man, his six-year-old son, and his 27-year-old sister-in-law, six months pregnant.
The poignant story of Pierre Palmade's victims
Mila, the young pregnant woman, testifies with heartbreaking emotion: “I feel like my baby has been taken away from me.” Her child, named Solin, did not survive. “When she was born, I was in total denial. For me, I had just given birth. Solin, I carried her in my arms. To me, she was sleeping… I thought we were going to take care of her. She was dead,” she says in tears.
Yuksel Yakut, the father of the family, confides his trauma: “Since the accident, I have still not returned to work. I can no longer spend time outside with my children.”
Pierre Palmade asks for forgiveness
Faced with these heartbreaking testimonies, Pierre Palmade reacts. “I am devastated to see the victims in real life, it is a painful moment”he declares. Then, turning towards them: “I would like to ask you for forgiveness deep within me, sincerely.”
The victims' lawyer, Me Mourad Battikh, raises a crucial point: “French law, it is sad to say, protects animals better than the unborn child”. He wishes to change the jurisprudence concerning the legal status of the fetus.
Pierre Palmade, who refused to be tried for “manslaughter”, recognizes: “I am dangerous on drugs”.
A confession that resonates as an attempt at redemption in this day when justice is trying to shed light on an accident that shattered lives.
