The suspect arrested Friday in the case of “scooter rapist” was indicted on Sunday April 7, notably for two rapes and an attempted rape, his lawyer announced to Agence France-Presse.
This man, aged 22, confused by his DNA in one of the rapes, “was indicted for two rapes, one attempted rape, one attempted sexual assault, two aggravated acts of violence and one attempted aggravated extortion”specified Me Arnaud Lévy Soussan.
A judicial investigation was opened on March 29 for seven acts: two rapes, an attempted rape, a sexual assault and violence committed between February 8 and March 16. The investigation concerns, in detail, two rapes committed in Grenoble and Saint-Martin-d’Hères on March 11 and 16, an attempted rape on March 16 in Grenoble, a sexual assault and violence with a weapon on the 17th. February in Grenoble, an extortion attempt on February 8 in Saint-Martin-le-Vinoux and, the same day, violence in Grenoble, detailed the Grenoble public prosecutor, Eric Vaillant, at the end of March.
Local psychosis
Two other facts linked to these cases were ultimately dismissed by the prosecution and investigators. But, according to information from Dauphiné releasedconfirmed by the prosecutor, an eighth case could be added to the list: a young woman attacked on the night of December 16 to 17, 2023, thinking she had been a victim of the same man, filed a complaint on Thursday.
This affair led to the beginnings of psychosis among the population, with women avoiding going out alone at night, according to local media. “The important and patient work of the numerous police officers mobilized in the search for the rapist has paid off”underlined the prosecutor on Saturday.
According to the testimonies collected, the attacker acted alone. Dressed in black, riding a black scooter, he spotted his victims and followed them before attacking them, the prosecutor explained at the end of March. Mr. Vaillant had described “a 20-year-old man, European type, without accent, around 1.70 m tall and of normal or even slightly plump build, brown eyes, pale complexion and rather red hair”.
“The broadcast of the rapist’s report allowed the police to collect several dozen testimonies which are processed by investigators diligently”declared the prosecutor last week. “The magistrates of the Grenoble public prosecutor’s office and all the police officers are heavily involved in this investigation”he assured.