“Relentlessness”: this is the term Lisa used this Wednesday to describe the lynching suffered in 2021 by her younger brother Arthur, killed in a fight in Sainte-Geneviève-des-Bois and whose alleged murderer was tried by the Court of Essonne Assize.
The attackers “didn’t just hit him: they wanted to kill him,” said Lisa, overcome by sobs several times. “They continued to beat him while he was unconscious, not only with his hands and feet, but also with a scooter helmet,” he said. “No human being should have to endure something like this. »
His younger brother died after being beaten by several people on the night of July 15-16 2021. Arthur and his friend Amine, 18, went that night on a stolen scooter to Sainte-Geneviève, a town about twenty kilometers south of Paris.
Hailing from the neighboring town of Saint-Michel-sur-Orge, the two friends were beaten in the context of recurring tensions between youth gangs from the two towns. Amine, who was injured, managed to escape but Arthur was badly beaten and partially stripped naked by his attacker. Losing consciousness, he was taken to hospital, where he died two days later.
“Terrible trophy”
The scenes were filmed by her attacker and shared on social networks, often accompanied by mocking or threatening comments. A “terrible trophy” for Lisa to which was added “constant provocation” after her brother’s death.
The young woman later related that the memorial plaque she had installed in Sainte-Geneviève had been vandalized several times. He also said he did not understand that only one defendant, José MM, had appeared. Identified in one of the videos of the attack, he was arrested about ten days after the incident.
Despite admitting his presence at the scene, José MM, now 26 years old, denied carrying out the fatal blow. In June 2023, almost two years after Arthur’s death, three suspects were indicted, one more being an assisted witness. However, at the end of the investigation, they benefited from dismissal due to the lack of “sufficient allegations.” Léa, Arthur’s other older sister, said she regretted the killers “walking free while we try to live with a broken family”.
“Stop all this”
The background to the case was a rivalry between young people from Sainte-Geneviève-des-Bois and Saint-Michel-sur-Orge. Arthur himself has been involved in several fights. He is also part of the rap group, “2.4 sectors”, located in the Saint-Michel district of Bois-des-Roches and opposing, with interlude clips, Génovéfains from “700 S”.
According to investigators, his presence in Sainte-Geneviève on the night of his death may have been related to a desire to fight with young men from Saint-Michel. A gun with Arthur’s DNA was found near the crime scene.
But for Majda, Arthur’s ex-girlfriend, “he wanted to stop all that, he wanted to take control of his life.” Her older sister, Lisa, recalled that their mother’s death in 2018 affected her deeply.
“I expect a lot from this decision,” he also said. “We have lived with the burden of this death for four years. I hope justice will be served on behalf of my little brother. »
