He was one of those who directly witnessed the assassination. Charlie Jacquin was a sports teacher, who had just arrived at Conflans-Sainte-Honorine high school when, on October 16, 2020Samuel Paty was killed. As the trial of eight alleged accomplices of the assassin opens on November 4, RTL collected his testimony.
“It was the day of the holidays, I finished in the last ones, around 5 p.m. In the car, on the way, I quickly saw two people, one on top of the other, who were lying down, their faces turned towards me , inert. I tell myself that it may be a road accident. I ask what is happening and a man in black says to me: 'He insulted the prophet'. I think I understood very well what had happened, but I was in total denial.”
At first glance, difficult to clearly discern the scene of horror unfolding before his eyes. “I said to myself: 'One person is moving, to another person who is not moving, what is happening?' And I understand afterwards that he was decapitating him. It was blurry, it was on the side of the road. So, I got back in my car, I went around again and there was already there. police.”
As the journey progressed, I was trembling, I understood, but I couldn't realize. I turned on the television and put on the news, telling myself that if that was really what happened, it was going to be news. An hour later, the information came out and then I completely realized. It was horrible.”
The student who lied knew very well that with this kind of lie, his father was going to step up and put pressure.
Charlie Jacquin, witness to the death of Samuel Paty, on RTL
At the trial, Charlie Jacquin is now waiting for “answers”. “I want to know how premeditated this was, how much each person in the organization had to do with it, and what the defendants have to say. I feel like it's like a big puzzle with a lot of pieces missing.”
Asked about the people he is particularly angry with, the sports teacher names, “first”, “the student who lied”. “She knew very well that with this kind of lie, her father was going to step up and put pressure, he assures. She had 11 days to change her version and say that it was false, she did not didn't do it.” The teacher also denounces the behavior of “the person who accompanied the student's father, made videos and told him what exactly to say.”
At the time of the tragedy, Charlie Jacquin had just made his first return to the establishment. “We spoke two or three times with Samuel Paty. He was rather discreet.” Today, he is asking to be a civil party to the trial “so that we recognize to what extent my colleagues and I suffered from the situation, that we are indirect victims”. “I know it's going to be hard, he admits. But I need that to move forward, even if it's going to be hard. We are a collective, we are very united, unlike what has been possible say to yourself. We are a team, we will face the trial together.
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