These twelve people were placed in custody "to carry out a number of checks," told AFP the prosecutor's office of Créteil, confirming information from BFMTV. "We remain very cautious" about their effective involvement in the attack, said the same source.

On the night of July 1 to 2, at the heart of the riots caused throughout the France by the death of the young Nahel, killed on June 27 in Nanterre by a police officer, a burning vehicle was thrown on the pavilion of the mayor, Vincent Jeanbrun (LR), causing in particular the fire of the family car.

Present in the house, the wife of the elected official, the departmental councillor Mélanie Nowak, was injured while fleeing with her two young children.

"We can not affirm" that there is a link between the riots that occurred across the country after the death of the young Nahel and the attack on the home of the mayor of Haÿ-les-Roses, said the prosecutor of Créteil.

Municipal police officers in front of the damaged home of Hay-les-Roses mayor Vincent Jeanbrun, on July 2, 2023 in Val-de-Marne © Geoffroy Van der Hasselt / AFP/Archives

Entrusted to the judicial police of the department, the investigation was initially opened by the prosecutor's office for attempted murder. It has since been extended to include counts of criminal conspiracy to commit a crime and destruction of property by arson in an organized gang.

The prosecutor of Créteil, Stéphane Hardouin, had reported immediately after the facts that the presence of several individuals at the scene of the attack was "confirmed".

Support

The investigation mobilizes "about forty dedicated investigators," said the prosecutor's office.

Against a backdrop of clashes between young rioters and security forces, looting and destruction of public buildings in many cities, this attack provoked strong emotions throughout the country and unanimous condemnation from the entire political class.

The mayor of L'Hay-les-Roses Vincent Jeanbrun (c) during a march in support of the day after the car-ramming attack on his home, on July 3, 2023 in the Val-de-Marne © Emmanuel DUNAND / AFP / Archives

On July 3 in the afternoon, more than 2,000 people, including the president of the Senate Gérard Larcher and the president of the Regional Council of Ile-de-France Valérie Pécresse had participated, in the small town of 30,000 inhabitants, in a march in support of the mayor.

"I expect the perpetrators of this despicable act, these potential murderers, to be found and firmly condemned as an example," said Vincent Jeanbrun during a speech.

Several rallies in support of the mayors of communes targeted by the riots following the death of young Nahel were also organized in the wake of this attack.

A Senate report published Wednesday expressed the desire to strengthen the functional protection of elected officials while increasing the penalties incurred by aggressors.

As part of this consultation, 4.8% of elected officials said they had been frequently or sometimes victims of physical attacks or violence since 2020, 25% of threats and 40.5% of incivility or insults.

© 2023 AFP