Tears and anger punctuated this first day of trial concerning the murder of little Rose. According to the protagonists present at the hearing, the climax of this day was reached when Hugo* was questioned by President Armelle Thomas about his actions which led to the death of the 5-year-old girl. The magistrate questioned him in particular about the presence of sperm on the child’s sweater. But the 16-year-old was adamant he did not rape her. On the other hand, as explained by Me David Collot, one of the two lawyers for the girl’s family, “he admitted, pushed a little to his limits, that he had probably masturbated after committing the murder. Which would explain why we could have found his sperm on Rose’s sweater. »
Challenging words for the whole family, especially for Rose’s mother, who left the courtroom in which the case was judged behind closed doors in distress on several occasions.
But still according to the protagonists present at the hearing, Hugo went further by addressing Rose’s parents, straight in the eyes, to send them his apologies and his regrets for having drowned the child in his bathtub, this April 25, 2023.
Another crucial moment of this day: the testimony of the first psychiatric expert who saw the teenager while he was in police custody. This expert (the only one of the four psychiatrists who examined Hugo) considered that his discernment was impaired during the events. But he also and above all concluded that the teenager presented a great criminological but also psychiatric danger.
The other psychiatric experts will be heard this Wednesday. And these testimonies will be important. Because at present, Hugo faces 20 years of criminal imprisonment. But if the Epinal children’s court recognizes the impairment of discernment, then the sentence he faces will be reduced by a third…
*The first name has been changed
