resumption of the trial of two defendants before the Court of Assizes of the Rhône
The facts date back to November 2017, two women accuse two men aged 39 and 46 of having kidnapped and raped them in a bar in the 9th arrondissement of Lyon. They must appear before the Court of Assizes of the Rhône this Monday, July 4, 2022.
Postponed for the first time in November 2020, this trial had already started in September 2021, but had to be interrupted following the heart attack of one of the two accused. Postponed in January 2022, it still could not be held due to the COVID 19 epidemic.
This Monday, July 4, two men aged 39 and 46 must appear before the Court of Assizes of the Rhône for having kidnapped, drugged and raped two young women in a shisha bar in Lyon in the 9th arrondissement.
The two victims, 21 and 22 years old at the time of the events, say they were locked up for 10 hours in the establishment, then forced to take drugs, they repeatedly violated them, under the threat of pairs of scissors.
According to the experts, the two accused were under the influence of alcohol and cocaine.
It was a friend of the victims who alerted the police after receiving several text messages calling for help.
During the investigation, the defendants denied the charges against them. On the first day of the trial in September 2021, the victims had requested a closed session, but on the eve of this new judicial appointment, it is still unclear whether the hearings will be public.
These reports for four years are very badly experienced by the civil parties, in particular taking into account the contradictory versions of the accused. “It has been going on for four years, four years that my client has been called a liar!” regrets Me Carine Monzat. According to the lawyer, the young woman, now 25, still needs specialized psychological support. She still suffers from a trauma that requires specific support for these situations, but it is difficult for her to find a professional available to receive her. In addition to the long time of justice “She also finds herself faced with the problem of care and management of post trauma after a rape” explains Me Monzat.
On November 4, 2017, in view of their physical and psychological state of health, the medical examiner who had noted the facts had requested their hospitalization.
The Lyon Court of Assizes should, barring any new twist, hear all the parties from July 4 to 7, 2022, to finally clarify this case for which the two defendants appear free under judicial supervision.