Jean-Paul Isaki appears from Monday December 2, 2024 before the Assises de la Marne for the murder of Paula Migeon, a transgender woman killed on April 7, 2021, in Reims. At the heart of this first day of debates: the capacity of the accused, presumed innocent, to be tried, but also the expertise of his personality.
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His trial almost did not take place. Jean-Paul Isaki appeared with his head bowed in the dock of the Marne Assize Court this Monday, December 2, 2024. He is on trial for the murder of Paul Migeon, a transgender woman found dead in her apartment, avenue de Laon, in Reims, April 7, 2021.
Several qualifications were used against the accused, including that of “aggravated murder due to the sexual orientation or identity of the victim”. At the heart of this first day of debates: the capacity of the accused to be tried, but also the expertise of his personality.
Is Jean-Paul Isaki fit to be judged? At the request of his lawyers, Jean-Paul Isaki was examined a few weeks ago to find out if he was able to defend himself. “Mr. Isaki has, like any accused, the right to defend himself, to prepare his defense. He must study the various charges against him”, said Jane Peissel, defense attorney. She continues: “French case law is clear: we verify that the person is able to understand the issues at stake in the trial”.
In his cell, Jean-Paul Isaki allegedly behaved disturbingly. “He talks to the walls, seems to be lost, he eats very few meals, no longer goes to the gym, no longer goes out. He is becoming very hard to manage,” explains Maître Jane Peissel, who specifies: “I arrived late on the case, he made incoherent comments. I was not able to discuss the case with him or prepare his defense”.
He looks in better health than Jean-Marie Le Pen
Christ Baptiste, lawyer for the civil partiesFrance 3
The civil party's lawyers all requested the dismissal of this referral. “We have been waiting for this trial for three and a half years. He refused to go see the experts during the investigation. Justice must take place,” underlined Maître Mourad Benkoussa, lawyer for Paula Migeon's niece. Chris Baptiste, lawyer for the civil parties, adds: “I also oppose this rejection, because I note that Jean-Paul Isaki is present today. He seems in better health than Jean-Marie Le Pen. The difficulties he encounters are classic, they come from his incarceration”.
After the deliberation and rejection of the referral by the court, the accused was questioned by the president. “I didn’t kill him because he was homosexual, that wasn’t my motivation,” he declared behind the glass which separates him from his counsel, before remaining silent for the other reasons held against him.
The family of Paula Migeon, on the civil parties' bench, Monday December 2, 2024.
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© Thierry Doudoux
The president of the court spoke at length about the life course and personal history of the accused. Coming from an originally close-knit family, which found itself split up due to the conflict in Congo, he arrived in France in 2017, after living in a reception structure in Senegal: no proper supervision, no schooling, children exploited… A “difficult childhood”. “I have fuzzy memories of all that,” underlines Jean-Paul Isaki, looking lost. In April 2020, he left his home apartment located in Corbeil-Essonne, in Île-de-France. He moved to Châlon-en-Champagne to follow training. “I wanted to leave the city, to get away from the problems,” specifies the man who describes himself as “calm”.
Following this training, Jean-Paul Isaki began temporary missions in logistics. “I didn’t complete my missions, I was bewitched by the demon. I understood it when I was in detention, in April 2023, when I started to see pigeons parading in the mirror of my cell. he justifies himself to the Court. On several occasions, Jean-Paul Isaki says he has been inhabited by demons and manipulated since his childhood.
The brother of the accused took the stand to speak about him. “It’s like he’s bipolar.”. He continues: “I think that if my brother had been attracted to men, he would have spoken to his father about it, because they are very complicit”. In turn, Jean-Paul Isaki's mother speaks, her throat tight: “When the police knocked on my door in April 2021, I didn’t know it was extremely serious. I said to myself why him? But a child who has seen war can leave after-effects”.
Tuesday, on the second day of the trial, the debates will continue with the hearing of several witnesses, the forensic expert, the civil parties and the accused. Jean-Paul Isaki faces life imprisonment.
