Frédéric Michel, edited by Romain Rouillard
On the second day of the trial for the Nice attack which claimed the lives of 86 people in 2016, the president of the special assize court has not yet decided whether or not to broadcast images of the attack. For four minutes, we see the truck sweeping down the Promenade des Anglais, overturning everything in its path.
Should the video surveillance images taken on the evening of the Nice attack be broadcast or not? This is the question that arose on Tuesday at the Paris Assize Court during the second day of the trial of this attack. If President Laurent Raviot has still not decided, he has nevertheless opened the discussion. “I have no shame in relation to the facts,” he explained. Emaciated face, calm tone, Laurent Raviot calls on all parties to ask themselves the right questions given the violent nature of these videos.
The president questions in particular the interest of such a broadcast to understand the course of the attack and to determine the responsibilities of the accused. “It can help with repair work, but you have to measure the price to pay,” he insisted. Several civil parties took the floor to support the dissemination of the terrorist’s murderous journey with his truck.
“Need to put images on their memories”
“Everyone is free to see them or not to see them. For some victims, they need to put images on their memories. And these images will allow us to see the horror of that evening. who are in their box their own actions”, estimates Anne-Marie who lost her daughter Camille in the attack.
The major challenge of this trial consists in confronting the court and the defendants with the facts which are judged, as recalled by the lawyers of the civil parties. Impossible, without these images, to determine who can also claim the status of victim and, therefore, have their civil party application deemed admissible. Defense lawyers believe for their part that it is not necessary to view the video surveillance of the Promenade des Anglais on the evening of July 14, the accused not being prosecuted for complicity.