A year ago, on the night of November 18 to 19, 2023, Thomas, a 16-year-old high school student, was fatally stabbed during a ball organized in Crépol, in Drôme. An altercation between guests and around ten young people from outside the village had degenerated.
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It was a white march that left its mark. This November 22, 2023, more than 6,000 people marched through the streets of Romans-sur-Isère to pay tribute to Thomas. At the head of the procession are his family but also his bereaved rugby club comrades. The latter had worn the club jersey that the 16-year-old teenager loved so much. In the crowd, tears and a heavy silence to echo the tragedy that occurred a few days earlier. An immense emotion had plunged the city into mourning.
Crépol drama: during the white march in tribute to Thomas, white and sky blue balloons, in the colors of his rugby club, flew above the Donnadieu stadium in Romans-sur-Isère (November 2023 – archives)
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© France tv
Three days earlier, on the night of November 18 to 19, Thomas tragically lost his life, the victim of a stab wound during a brawl, on the sidelines of a ball in the Drôme village of Crépol.
A village festival turns into a tragedy in Drôme: a 16-year-old teenager is stabbed to death in Crépol.
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© France tv
This event organized for the youth of the sector in this small town of 300 inhabitants turned into drama in a few minutes. As the ball ends, a group of young people from Romans-sur-Isère arrives around 1:30 a.m. The evening then quickly degenerates. A fight breaks out in the municipal hall. The altercation is violent and continues outside the village hall. Knives came out. “There was blood everywhere, on the walls, on the clothes, it was a butchery,” remembers a resident of Crépol.
While the attackers fled, the toll was heavy: 17 people were injured, three of them seriously. Taken care of by the firefighters and medically treated, Thomas’ state of health is desperate. He died during his transfer to a Lyon hospital.
Thomas: the 16-year-old high school student, passionate about rugby, died following a brawl that occurred in Crépol, on the night of November 18 to 19, 2023.
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© DR
After 48 hours of tracking, nine people were arrested, including seven in Toulouse, during a major gendarmerie operation. The suspects from Romans-sur-Isère are very young. All are under 23 years old. Three of them are even minors and half of them have no criminal record.
The scenario of the evening then gradually begins to take shape for the investigators: a simple mockery would be at the origin of the altercation in the village hall. The fight continues outside and escalates. Until the tragedy.
For the moment, none of the accused has admitted to having delivered the fatal blow which cost Thomas his life. But the investigation has not yet completely clarified the circumstances of the tragedy. Responsibility is difficult to establish due to the nighttime confusion at the time of the clashes. In total, in this case, 14 people are indicted for “organized gang murder”, “attempted murder” or “willful violence”.
The Crépol drama had a very significant media and political resonance in France. The right and the far right particularly seized on this affair to denounce insecurity in rural areas. Beyond the indignant reactions, this tragic event aroused a lot of emotion throughout the country. It was also at the origin of violent actions, incidents and excesses.
After the death of young Thomas in Crépol, several hate messages were broadcast on social networks, but also the names and addresses of the suspects in Thomas’ murder. Tried in September in Paris, the authors of the messages were sentenced at the end of October. Nine people received fines and suspended prison sentence.
