the state sentenced for « gross negligence » – liberation
The state was sentenced this Wednesday, June 4, to « Gross negligence », to pay 27,000 euros for moral damage to the family of Nathalie Debaillie, murdered by her ex-spouse in Lille in May 2019against which she had filed three handrails and a complaint. In his judgment, the first civil chamber of the Paris court recognized that there had been « A dysfunction reflecting the incapacity of the public service of justice to fulfill the mission entrusted to it ».
« The investigators should have, after information of the public prosecutor, carry out acts of investigation, carry out all useful checks and the hearing of the accused », underline the judges in the decision. The court did not, on the other hand, noted a gross negligence concerning the inaction of the police during its abduction, which had been denounced by the applicants, stressing the « Determination of investigating services to implement all useful means in order to help Madame Debaillie ».
He ordered the State to pay 10,000 euros to each of the two children of the victim, Romain and Florine, 4,000 euros to his brother, Nicolas Debaillie, and 3,000 euros to his ex-Mari Grégory, father of their two children, as their moral damage. At the hearing, the family lawyer had claimed much higher sums (200,000 euros for each of the children and 100,000 euros for the brother and for the ex-husband).
Six years ago, Jérôme Tonneau removed his ex-spouse Nathalie Debaillie upon her arrival at her workplace, skewed her, kidnapped her and then slaughtered her in her apartment with the help of accomplices. The multiple complaints and handrails, deposited at the Lille police station during the four months preceding the feminicide, did not give anything. The bank employee and mother of two had told the police, harassment, hacking or death threats.
« »This man has never ceased to be violent with all his companions« Recalls Isabelle Steyer, one of the lawyers for the Debaillie family during the hearing on May 7. An ex-partner had notably filed a complaint for attempted strangulation in 2015, classified without follow-up by the Lille prosecution. He was then under judicial supervision for deeds of fraud with voluntary fire, which had earned him a year in prison.
Despite the elements at their disposal, the Lille police have never heard Jérôme Tonneau. Not even when he introduced himself to the police station to file a complaint against his ex-spouse, whom he accused of stolen his phone. This complaint is the only one to have led to a summons, that of Nathalie Debaillie. Assignments in court against the State in the affairs of feminicides remain rare. Contacted by Releasethe Chancellery counted last March 29 State convictions for gross negligence in 2023, ten of which concerned seals (lost, destroyed, immobilized). « Appeals in terms of feminicides represent a small volume of files », then said the ministry.
The lawyer for the Debaillie, Isabelle Steyer, had already continued the State after the triple assassination, in 2014, ofIsabelle Thomas and her parents by his ex-spouse in Grande-Synthe (North). In 2020, justice had sentenced the State to « Gross negligence », To pay 100,000 euros to relatives of the victims. More recently, relatives of Chahinez Daoudmurdered by her husband Mounir B. On May 4, 2021, in Mérignac (Gironde), also started in 2023 an appeal of responsibility against the State.
