France: Murder of Teenager Puts Police in Northern France on Edge

Hat tip Gates of Vienna

On Tuesday evening, a horrific murder occurred in the northern French town of Nogent-sur-Oise. A 17-year-old boy was attacked by several young men and killed with some sort of bladed weapon, according to some reports, an axe. Three young men, ages 16,17, and 19, were arrested a short time later and are believed to be the perpetrators. 

According to Remix, an English-language site based in Hungary, the victim is of Turkish background, and French police are preparing for major disturbances. Initial suspicions are that this is part of a rivalry between youth gangs.

The below article from France3 is translated by Fousesquawk.

Adolescent (17) stabbed to death- three youths in custody

The prosecutor’s office of Senlis has opened a murder investigation after the fatal attack of an adolescent on Tuesday, May 20th, during the evening in Nogent-sur-Oise. Three young suspects have been arrested. The prosecutor confirms the facts and appeals for calm to allow the investigation to proceed.

The acts occurred shortly after 7 pm, Tuesday, May 20th, near the Lidl Supermarket on rue Gambetta in Nogent-sur-Oise. A 17-year-old minor was attacked by several individuals. Struck by a bladed weapon, “of a type yet to be determined,” according to the prosecutor’s office, he rapidly lost a lot of blood.

Rescue personnel, who were called quickly, performed resuscitation on him at the scene. He was evacuated to the hospital, where his death was pronounced during the evening.

Three youths, not known to the justice system, placed in custody

According to a press release from the Prosecutor of the Republic office of Senlis, Loic Abrial, three suspects, ages 16, 17, and 19, were identified by police after fleeing. They were stopped shortly after the incident by a patrol, then placed in custody. None of them had been known to the justice system, the prosecutor says, who considers them, “presumed innocent at this stage”.

The flagrant delicto investigation opened for murder has been assigned to the local Judicial Police service (SLP) of Creil. The Prosecutor of the Republic at Senlis, Loic Abrial, proceeded to the scene, “accompanied by a forensic examiner of the judicial forensic unit of Creil and the police technical and scientific services”. The examinations were carried out at the scene of the crime.

The motives for the attack are not yet established. “The investigations must be allowed to be proceed calmly to be able to uncover the truth,” the prosecutor concluded, who announced a further announcement in the next few days.