Europol has just published its list of the 19 "most wanted", that is to say the most wanted fugitives from Europe. A Frenchman guilty of rape is one of them.
A manhunt. Francois Di Pasquali, 48, is the most wanted French in Europe. This fugitive was convicted of the rape, in 2009, of an 84-year-old woman in Saint-Étienne (Loire). He had been indicted, imprisoned and then released, but he had managed to escape before his trial was held in 2016. His face is therefore one of the 19 "most wanted" ("the 19 most wanted") ) Europol, the European agency specializing in the suppression of crime. A series of portraits has been broadcast throughout Europe since October 27, 2020, reports Le Figaro.
According to Jacques Croly Labourdette, the boss of the National Fugitive Search Brigade (BNRF), interviewed by AFP, traces of semen were found in the victim's bathroom and the DNA of his attacker, taken. But at the time, the victim had not been able to give details of his attacker or his vehicle, and the suspect's DNA was unknown. It was not until April 2012 that François Di Pasquali was identified, during a sample taken after his arrest for violence against his partner at the time. He had tried to run over it with his vehicle. Indicted in June for the rape of the elderly woman, François di Pasquali was released in January 2013. He then found a job as a cook in a Saint-Etienne restaurant. Another twist in June 2016: he did not appear before the Loire Assize Court for his trial, but was sentenced by default to ten years in prison. "He was not known to justice before these events. He has probably rebuilt his life elsewhere, has a new partner, friends … He has no network (criminal to lean on)", explains Jacques Croly Labourdette today.
Every two minutes, a rape reported in Europe
Europol recalls in a tweet that every 2 minutes, "A sexual offense is reported to police in the EU, be it rape, violence or sexual assault. No time to waste! Help us catch the fugitives from #EUMW, perpetrators of violent sexual assault ".
The opening of a dedicated site allows everyone to deposit information to locate the man.