A few days after Philippine’s murder, Paris-Dauphine students expressed their emotions. The young girl’s tragic death near the university shocked them deeply.
At Paris-Dauphine University, Philippine’s death deeply affected the students. The body of the young girl, who had not given any news to her loved ones since Friday September 20, was found lifeless the next day in the Bois de Boulogne.
An investigation into rape and homicide was opened on Wednesday and the main suspect, subject to an obligation to leave the territory and already convicted of rape in the past, was arrested in Switzerland the day before.
Registered in the third year of an economics and financial engineering degree, Philippine left Paris-Dauphine University around 2 p.m. Within the establishment, his death causes “anger, worry, anguish,” a student confides to BFMTV.
Suspect arrested
Another student, who came to lay flowers in her tribute, explains that she “identifies with the fear she must have felt”.
“We realize that it’s real. It touched me enormously, she was at my level, she was my age…”, she declares.
The profile of the suspect, sentenced to seven years in prison for rape in 2019, but was recently released before the end of his sentence. He was then placed in a detention center, from which he was also released despite an OQTF. A release which provoked numerous reactions. A Paris-Dauphine student believes that “it’s not normal for someone who is convicted to be released.”
“To say to yourself that there are perhaps other people like that who could reproduce the same thing is not necessarily very reassuring…” continues another.
A tragedy near the university
The use of video surveillance cameras made it possible to demonstrate that Philippine was heading towards the Bois de Boulogne, located just behind the university, after having lunch at the CROUS.
“If even around our university we are not safe, we are not safe anywhere,” laments a student.
On the day of the tragedy, Philippine was supposed to return to the university to go to class. Philippe Gillet, his finance professor, describes an “extremely heavy atmosphere”.
“I just told them that we should not forget it. The family was in contact with the president of the university, who had the right words regarding the promotion,” continues -he.
An online fundraiser was recently launched to support the family of the young girl, who was celebrating her 20th birthday in October. His funeral will take place this Friday at 1 p.m. in the Saint-Louis cathedral in Versailles.
Arnaud Gesret with Mathias Fleury
