Thomas case in Crépol: the prosecution requests that eleven defendants be sent to trial before the Assize Court

More than two years after the death of 16-year-old Thomas Perotto at the Crépol winter ball in the Drôme region, the Valence public prosecutor's office has requested that eleven of the fourteen defendants be tried before the juvenile court for voluntary homicide and attempted voluntary homicide as part of an organized group. The final indictment, nearly 290 pages long, was sent to the parties on Thursday.

On the night of November 18-19, 2023, a violent brawl broke out between youths from Crépol and a group from Romans-sur-Isère, among other places. Several participants pulled out knives, leaving several people seriously injured. Thomas, a rugby enthusiast, succumbed to his injuries while being transported to the hospital.

Despite more than two years of investigations, numerous hearings, and a virtual reconstruction, the inquiry never definitively identified the perpetrator of the fatal blow. Investigators encountered contradictory accounts and what several civil parties denounced as a veritable code of silence among those charged.

A case that has become a national symbol

The prosecution is also requesting that the seven defendants currently incarcerated remain in custody, as well as that the judicial supervision or house arrest measures imposed on the other defendants be maintained. Two individuals could be released without charge, while a third would face separate proceedings for assault and carrying a weapon.