French Justice

Last week two cases were reported on in France which demonstrate the state of justice in modern Europe.

The first case saw the killers of Ilan Halimi, a French Jew who was brutally tortured to death by a gang of Muslim thugs calling themselves the barbarians, have their convictions upheld:

A French appeals court has upheld the convictions of 16 people for their roles in the 2006 kidnapping, torture and murder of a young French Jew - handing down sentences of up to 18 years in prison.

The appeals court in Creteil was hearing the appeals of defendants already convicted by a lower court into the slaying of Ilan Halimi, who was lured into their custody by a young woman, then sequestered and killed.

The ringleader, Youssouf Fofana, was not on trial in the proceedings that began Oct. 25: He chose not to appeal his conviction and life sentence. Fofana, a 28 year-old of Ivoirian origin, expressed no remorse and expressed defiance throughout his trial. On various occasions, he smirked at Halimi’s relatives, shouted "Allahu Akbar!" and at one point threw shoes at lawyers.

The 23-year-old Halimi was held captive for over three weeks. He was found naked, handcuffed and covered with burn marks near railway tracks south of Paris on Feb. 13, 2006. He died on the way to a hospital.

The case shocked France and turned a spotlight on anti-Semitic violence in the poor, multi-ethnic suburbs around many big French cities.

According to several members of the gang that abducted and murdered Halimi, he was targeted because he was Jewish and was therefore believed to have money.

It is truly unbelievable that only the ringleader received a life sentence; any of the others involved could have ended Ilan's misery and suffering anytime they liked, but chose not to.

In this case, I think the death penalty would have been more than justified for all involved. At least it's something, however, that their convictions were upheld. In the mad house that is modern Europe, nothing can be taken for granted.

The second case saw Thierry Deve-Oglou, a violent recidivist, sentenced to 22 years in prison for the attemtped rape and murder of Anne-Lorraine Schmitt:

Deve-Oglou is accused of murdering Anne-Lorraine Schmitt in November 2007. The young woman was on her way to meet her parents to go to church when she found herself alone with the "alleged" killer in a car of the Regional Express Rail. Armed with a knife he stabbed her thirty-four times, and though she fought back and managed to turn the knife on him, wounding him in the thigh, she died from massive internal bleeding.

Her father, Philippe Schmitt, vowed that her death would not be in vain, and set about to fight for tougher sentences, especially in cases of recidivism. Deve-Oglou had already served two years of a five year sentence for sexually abusing another young woman several years earlier. He was released before the five years were up, a common practice in France.

Tiberge also has more information on the killer's previous offence:

The alleged murderer of Anne-Lorraine Schmitt had already been convicted for attacking a student. But the courts had not found him to be particularly threatening. At the criminal court of Beauvais, attorney for the bar of Senlis, Isabelle Pfeiffer had defended Thierry Deve Oglou's first victim - a student raped on January 25, 1995.

Figaro - What was Deve Oglou accused of at his first trial?

Pfeiffer - The affair was strangely similar to the tragedy of November 25. My client, a brilliant student of literature, was a beautiful young woman, blond and elegant. One week-day afternoon, she found herself alone in a car of the RER D with Thierry Deve Oglou who took out an Opinel knife and forced her to perform fellatio. With the aid of the railroad police patrols she was able to find the man who immediately admitted the act. Since it was his first rape, the examining judge proposed to send the case to "correctional" court, as if it were a matter of a sexual aggression. I remember that my client had replied: "I am not vindictive, but I very much want this man to be judged in criminal court ("assises")

Note: "Correctional" court tries lesser crimes. "Assises" greater crimes.

Figaro - The sentence passed down - five years, two without parole - seems lenient. Can you explain why?

Pfeiffer - First of all the facts had been minimized by the court, as if being forced to perform fellatio were not a real rape. Then Deve Oglou appeared to be an unfortunate guy, frustrated but not evil, who had yielded to an impulse, but was sorry. A salesman at the Bon Marché, he didn't have a girlfriend but admitted to having at times frequented prostitutes in Paris. At the trial he was surrounded by a family of Armenian origin, simple and modest, who had spontaneously paid for the damages. Everybody, including the experts, seemed to feel that there was no risk of repetition. For her part, my client appeared full of compassion and said with great generosity: "I know that this man risks 20 years of prison, but I do not seek vengeance. What I want, is to leave it up to you to decide upon the fair penalty." At the time, she was not shocked by the verdict.

The case has led to a debate amongst some French blogs and media outlets about length of sentences, recidivism - but any mention of the death penalty has seemingly been completely cut off as beyond the pale.

It seems once again, the criminal, no matter how brutal, repulsive or cowardly, will always get more consideration than the victim. It has always been my view, however, that the more savage elements we let in to walk amongst us, the more savage we will end up having to be to control them.

Soft justice might work in small, homogenous nations, but it won't work in an increasingly dangerous, atomised place like France.

Deve-Oglou's second chance cost Anne-Lorraine her life. It's a shame such things seem to mean very little to our elites.

I just worry about how many more such victims there will be.

Hat tip: GalliaWatch.