“Psychic or neuropsychic condition, schizophrenia, long addiction to cannabis, pathological anti-social personality, incapacity to conform to social norms, impulsiveness, propensity to violence... cannot stand a long and difficult criminal court case... unfit to stand trial.”

Paris, 15 July 2018

On 28 February, the investigating magistrate in the case of the 4 April 2017 savage murder of 65 years old doctor, Sarah Halimi, accepted an expert analysis that her murderer was fit to stand trial.

Moreover, Kobili Traoré’s action, in stabbing her and throwing her from her third-floor balcony to her death, while screaming “Allahu Akhbar,” was acknowledged as, indeed, “an act of antisemitic character.”

On 18 June, the Simon Wiesenthal Centre Director for International Relations, Dr. Shimon Samuels, wrote to French Interior Minister, Gérard Collomb, lamenting that “the current defence system is inadequate,” protesting an attack on a teenage girl student by three North Africans outside her Jewish School... noting the withdrawal of the military presence guarding synagogues, Jewish schools and other institutions.

The letter had also stressed: “the revolving door” treatment of young Islamist attackers on Jews and Jewish property by magistrates.

By far the most serious, Samuels had emphasized the denial of the “antisemitic character” in terrorism against Jews, stating, “the courts’ reluctance to acknowledge the antisemitic nature of these attacks – ostensibly saving the perpetrator from an aggravated penalty – has the apparent effect of a ‘cover-up’ and an excuse for delay.”

On 11 July, the investigative magistrate presented a second evaluation of three psychiatric experts, claiming that the murderer:
“Was not conscious at the moment of his actions, and consequently cannot face a long and difficult trial... The subject was suffering, at that moment, a psychic or neuropsychic condition and was not in control of his actions... Traoré was suffering from a chronic psychiatric condition, probably schizophrenia... He also suffered from a long addiction to cannabis... a pathological anti-social personality (incapacity to conform to social norms, impulsiveness, irritability, aggressiveness, irresponsibility and propensity to violence)... unfit to stand trial.”

Samuels requested that the Minister discuss with his colleague, the Justice Minister, “a way to acknowledge ipso facto hate-crimes and atrocities on a fast track basis, as procedures excusing the violence on grounds of mental disorder add to serial and mimetic assault.”

The Judge has requested a third analysis for the autumn, as justice is further delayed.

“If every psychotic has the right to commit violence against Jews with impunity, there are a lot more antisemites than we ever thought!” ... "Does this, indirectly, make the Jews responsible for psychosis?", concluded Samuels.