The author of the attacks on the Saint-Julien-les-Rosiers physiotherapist, convicted

Le bâtonnier Tria est intervenu dans les intérêts du prévenu. Midi Libre – ALEXIS BETHUNE

The defendant receives one year of suspended probation with various obligations and prohibitions.

At the bar of the criminal court this Tuesday, the defendant has difficulty holding still. Like a caged beast, he sways, moving nervously from one foot to the other.

The 49-year-old man is accused of having threatened to kill and assaulted a physiotherapist from Saint-Julien-les-Rosiers where his mother and his ex-partner were being treated.

The defendant is convinced that his partner, from whom he is now separated, would have had an affair with the healthcare professional. "As usual, the husband is the last accused. And I reacted badly, especially when he insulted my mother and my daughter. My ex attended the office for two months. The physiotherapist should have just provided treatment."

The man acknowledges two episodes of violence, on February 8 and 14, 2024. The physiotherapist was granted six days of temporary work interruption in view of the marks on his face and wrist when he fell.

An impulsive defendant

The defendant's psychological expertise highlights "his impulsive character and his poor management of emotions."

The physiotherapist's counsel, Me Claire Sadoul, highlights the number of attacks suffered by her 70-year-old client. "He suffered attacks, three of which are being prosecuted. The accused arrives at the office and hits him, just like at the village tobacco shop where he hits him again. He went through hell. The office has been closed since February. The physiotherapist has not resumed and his partner does not want to come back. The damage is significant."

Physiotherapists who have not returned to their activity

The deputy prosecutor Nathalie Welte does not intend to position herself on the merits of the case, but believes "that it is necessary to set the limits afterwards repeated episodes of violence. The defendant behaved like an animal and stalked his victim." In her requisitions, the magistrate requests eight months in prison with suspended probation accompanied by obligations and prohibitions.

To ensure the defendant's defense, President Tria argues "that a rapprochement in a cabinet is prohibited. Afterwards it is obvious that he reacted badly. He admits to two acts of violence. He felt cheated after the betrayal of his ex-partner and the family physiotherapist whom he has known for many years. The liquidation of the firm should not be attributed to him. Perhaps we should be interested in the links between the two partners."

In the end, the defendant is acquitted for the death threats but convicted for the violence. Consequently, the court pronounces a sentence of one year in prison suspended for two years with an obligation of care and a ban on coming into contact with the victim and appearing at her home.

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