Racist attack in Yvelines: the four relatives of the suspect released

The custody of the four relatives of the author of the racist attack in Yvelines has been lifted, announced the National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor's Office (Pnat) on Monday. “Police custody for members of the family and friends entourage was lifted in the afternoon and evening of (Sunday) October 25,” indicated the Pnat. Among them were the suspect's father and mother, according to a source close to the case. The custody of the perpetrator of the attack was suspended after a psychiatric examination carried out on Saturday evening, the Pnat announced on Sunday morning.

A source close to the investigation told AFP that he was under treatment for schizophrenia, an illness which alters the perception of reality, emotions and behavior. “In accordance with the conclusions of the psychiatric expert, the person concerned was transferred to the psychiatric infirmary of the police headquarters (in Paris Editor's note) in order to be subjected to an observation period (...) likely to last 48 hours,” explained the anti-terrorism prosecution, specifying that “this must make it possible to assess whether his state of psychiatric health is compatible” with the continuation of his hearings.

A “terrorist, racist attack”, recalls Laurent Nuñez

This decision raised questions from Me Yassine Bouzrou, the lawyer for the family of Pengo Bossio Wangi, a 26-year-old Frenchman of Congolese origin killed Friday in Trappes. Me Bouzrou spoke of a “worrying recurrence: when the attack emanates from the extreme right, the psychiatric question arises very quickly – the author would “necessarily be unbalanced””.