In France, thousands of murders remain unsolved

In 2022, 948 homicides were committed in France and it is estimated that 20% of investigations have been or will be “closed” due to insufficient evidence.

By ThePoint.fr

20%. This is the number of murder investigations that do not succeed each year and end up being “dismissed”. These are the famous “cold cases”. According to M^e Didier Seban, subject specialist, interviewed by West France, that would represent 5,000 cases over the past twenty years. 5,000 unsolved homicides with the murderer likely still on the loose.

Our colleagues, however, qualify his remarks by explaining that there are approximately 800 to 900 homicides per year, therefore potentially 160 to 180 unsolved murders each year and therefore a little less than 4,000 since the beginning of the millennium. To which we can all the same add more or less 500 murders linked to drug trafficking, which do not strictly speaking fall into the category of “cold cases” since, if the author is not formally identified, the motive is known. In addition, it is likely that a number of murders are hidden behind “disturbing disappearances”.