On February 22nd, in Chênex, a locality located near the Swiss border, a tragedy struck a 40-year-old woman, already a mother and seven months pregnant. This victim, whose identity has not been revealed, lost her life following a fatal attack. This tragedy has shaken the local community and sparked a wave of emotion and solidarity.
Two individuals charged and imprisoned for hate crimes
Two individuals have been charged and placed in detention for “murder and attempted murder committed on the grounds of race, ethnicity, nationality, or religion,” following the death in February of a Romani mother, announced Annecy’s public prosecutor Line Bonnet on Saturday, June 8th.
The victim, a 40-year-old woman seven months pregnant, was hit by a gunshot while inspecting the damage to her mobile home, where she lived with her partner and their two daughters, aged 13 and 14. On February 22nd, in Chênex (Haute-Savoie), near the Swiss border, their home was targeted by several gunshots.
Main suspect admits to shooting
The main suspect, aged 26, confessed to being the one who fired shots at the family, while denying intentionally targeting the victim, who was fatally struck in the abdomen, according to the magistrate’s statements. Another individual, aged 30 and also charged for the same acts, admitted to transporting the armed shooter to the crime scene and picking him up afterward.
Both accused also admitted to firing shots two days earlier, on February 20th, at several caravans in a trailer park for travelers in Viry, located a few kilometers away where several families resided. Although some caravans were hit, no injuries were reported, according to the Annecy public prosecutor’s office. The two individuals were placed in temporary detention on Friday.
For many years, significant tensions have existed between the local population and the traveler community in Haute-Savoie, especially in the Genevois region where the village of Chênex is located. The debates are fueled by the lack of designated areas for travelers on one side, and illegal settlements on the other, as well as accusations of disturbing public tranquility and safety.
Source: francetvinfo.fr
