Gwladys Laffitte
modified to
6:40 a.m., February 19, 2022
Nordahl Lelandais was sentenced on Friday to life imprisonment with a 22-year security sentence. A period during which he will not be able to request a sentence adjustment for the kidnapping and murder of Maëlys, 8 and a half years old, this night of August 26, 2017 during a wedding.
It was the maximum penalty: life imprisonment. Nordahl Lelandais was convicted of the kidnapping and murder of little Maëlys, who disappeared on August 26, 2017. He was also convicted of sexual assault on his two little cousins, aged 4 and 6, the same summer. A verdict decided in nearly 6:30 by the jurors and eagerly awaited after three weeks of hearing before the Assize Court of Isère in Grenoble.
Great emotion at the time of the verdict
A verdict awaited first by the relatives and supporters of the family of Maëlys. They were nearly 70 Friday in the courtroom. When the verdict was announced, they hugged each other for a long time, in silence.
Their lawyers were also moved. This life sentence was what Maëlys’ family wanted. “Perpetuity is what we took, having lost Maëlys”, slips Jennifer De Araujo, her mother. “She put a dangerous criminal in jail, he’ll never hurt anyone again, that was my goal.”
“I wanted to pay tribute to her, she was with us throughout this trial, she gave us the strength to go all the way,” she continues, her voice full of tears.
Registered in the Sex Offender Registry
A sanction in accordance with the requisitions of the Advocate General who had described Nordahl Lelandais as “considerable social danger”. He was also sentenced to socio-judicial follow-up and a treatment order. He is also now listed as a sex offender.
The former dog handler seemed to accept this verdict with a nod. His lawyer has already announced that he will not appeal his conviction.