A tragic event struck the town of Vergèze, in Gard, this Saturday, January 11. A 44-year-old woman, residing in Aigues-Vives, was violently attacked while she was jogging on the town’s fitness trail, around 11 a.m. The attacker, armed with a knife, struck him several times on the back and throat.
Alerted by a plainclothes gendarme present on site, a large emergency and security system was immediately mobilized. The victim was treated urgently and transported to the Carémeau University Hospital in Nîmes. His vital prognosis is currently in jeopardy.
An exceptional mobilization to find the attacker
Since the report, more than 60 gendarmes from the department have been mobilized to find the suspect, still on the run. Helicopters fly over the area while the police comb the cordoned off area around the scene of the attack. Pascale Fortunat-Deschamps, mayor of Vergèze, called for calm on her social networks while informing residents of the current security measures.
In this tense climate, local establishments are taking precautions. The town’s equestrian center has asked its riders not to come on foot, encouraging them to travel only by car to limit the risks.
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A painful memory revived
This tragedy awakened painful memories of another attack that occurred in March 2016 on the same health trail. A jogger, mother, was attacked by a 15-year-old boy, who hit her with a bottle before raping her at knifepoint. Sentenced to five years in prison, the latter was arrested again in 2021 for an attempted murder of his partner, in Nîmes.
A community in shock
Vergèze, a peaceful village of less than 6,000 inhabitants, is in a state of shock. Reactions of indignation and concern are multiplying. “We did not think that such tragedies could be repeated here,” confides an upset resident. The return to normal life seems, for the moment, difficult to envisage.
Authorities are continuing their investigations, calling on anyone with information to come forward to help arrest the perpetrator of this attack. Vigilance remains essential for residents and lovers of outdoor activities.
