After beating her up, he locked her in an isolated farmhouse for three days: a Mézois convicted of violence and kidnapping

Affaire de violences à la barre du tribunal judiciaire de Montpellier. Midi Libre – Illustration JEAN MICHEL MART

Violent, il frappe sa femme avant de trouver un exutoire en sa nouvelle compagne…

Dans le box des prévenus, un Mézois âgé de 26 ans, entretenant une double relation amoureuse, doit répondre de violences, séquestration, harcèlement et dégradation de bien d’autrui.

On the civil parties' bench, the mother of his two children aged 1 and 3 and a half, as well as his mistress. Two women who do not know each other and who, however, are united in the same suffering. The intolerable one of battered women.

She says she is psychologically destroyed

The first, weighing only 39 kg, says she is “psychologically destroyed, depressed”  and speaks of regular violence from the beginning of their relationship, four years ago: broken elbow, black eyes, strangulation, slaps, punches… And admits “having stayed with him until then for the children”, hoping “for a change on his part”.

The last brutalities date back to August 2nd when she sees him with his new conquest at the bakery. Unable to control her nerves, she pulls the young woman's hair and insults her.

He hits her in front of their children

That's when her partner intervened, violently pushed her into his car and drove her home where he beat her up in front of their children. That day, she had the courage to run to her balcony and call for help. That's what made him run away.

But as soon as evening came, he threatened her several times by phone: “I'm going to leave you for dead”, “I'm going to come home and take care of you”, “I'm going to break you”, “enjoy what you have left with the children…”

She is very fragile and leaves a mark a lot

Interviewed on the facts, he confides that he does not remember. “There may have been blows but not as violent as she says. She is very fragile and marks a lot. I was not violent before, it is since she forbade me from seeing my children that I have become like this.”

Besides the crying mother, another young woman, wearing a neck brace around her neck, tries hard to hold back her tears. Dating the twenty-something for just a few days, she saw him go off the rails following a phone call during which his wife told him she wouldn't entrust their children to him.

I was his punching bag

After hanging up, he found in his new partner an outlet to let off steam. After insulting her copiously, he threatened to “break her legs” and then strangled her. Before pulling himself together. But a few minutes later, under the influence of cannabis and nitrous oxide, the crisis was even more violent.

He grabbed her by the hair, slapped her, put his hand over her mouth and then violently threw her into the car. “He hit me in the face, gave me twenty to twenty-five slaps. I was his punching bag. I told him: “I'm going to die” and he answered: “That's my goal, you're going to take it for everything that happened to me”. I was stunned.”

He wanted to lock me up as long as the marks on my face were still visible

Seeing her dazed and in shock, he then took her to an isolated farmhouse that she did not know in Mèze, broke her phone and held her captive. He stayed outside the door night and day making balloons of nitrous oxide.

“He wanted to lock me up as long as the marks on my face remained visible.” The nightmare would last three days and then, overcome with remorse, he took her back to her mother's.

I was afraid I would run away, that he would catch up with me and hit me in the new

"The first night I went to Montpellier. I closed the door by reflex. But she could escape through the window", he defended himself. “This is the first time I have suffered such violence. I was afraid to run away, that he would catch up with me and hit me again”, she explained at the bar.

And the young man who lived in a foster family until he was 18, acknowledging having been a victim of violence when he was young, concluded: “You are collateral damage. I'm sorry, it should never have happened”.

30 months, 18 of which were suspended

Released from the charge of malicious harassment by a spouse, the defendant was found guilty of the remainder and sentenced to thirty months in prison, eighteen of which were suspended on probation for two years, subject to several obligations.

In this case, obligations of psychiatric and addiction care as well as work. He will also be prohibited from having contact with the victims and from appearing at their respective homes. In addition, he will have to undergo an awareness course on domestic violence.

As additional penalties, he is ineligible and can no longer hold a weapon, all for five years.

The court, which decided to order his continued detention concerning the firm part of his sentence, also withdrew the exercise of his parental authority.

The twenty-year-old will have to pay a fine of 300 euros for the contravention violence, compensate the mother of his children to the tune of 3,000 euros and compensate his latest conquest (6,000 euros, including 1,000 euros for breaking his phone).

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