The tragedy that unfolded in the mosque of La Grand-Combe (Gard) on April 25th may never be tried before a criminal court. The psychiatric assessment of Olivier Hadzovic, the prime suspect in the murder of Aboubakar Cissé, concluded that he had a complete loss of judgment at the time of the events. Aged 20, the man was suffering from an acute psychotic disorder when he stabbed the victim, a 22-year-old Malian man. Initially incarcerated in Perpignan remand center, the suspect was transferred to a psychiatric hospital in Thuir on June 20th. During his examination by a specialist doctor eleven days earlier, he confirmed hearing "voices" that allegedly ordered him to commit the crime. The psychiatrist emphasized the absence of external coercion, explaining that the act had been guided by intense hallucinations, completely disconnected from reality.
A crime without a trial?
These conclusions radically alter the rest of the proceedings. If no counter-expertise is requested, Olivier Hadzovic could be declared criminally irresponsible. In this case, the court would dismiss the case without a trial at the Assize Court, paving the way for compulsory hospitalization rather than a prison sentence. The civil party has fifteen days to contest the expert opinion or request a new one. During his interviews, the suspect described an uncontrollable downward spiral. He claimed that his actions were not his own will but a complete loss of control, linked to inner voices that had "taken over." These statements, repeated before the expert, reinforce the diagnosis of schizophrenia put forward from the first days of the investigation.
It's the law
Criminal irresponsibility in cases of serious mental illness remains a principle of French law, albeit a source of considerable misunderstanding. For the victim's relatives, this prospect resurfaces a form of judicial vacuum, despite the extreme violence of the events. If the absence of a trial is confirmed, only civil proceedings and additional expert assessments will shed light on the suspect's state of health and possible peripheral responsibilities. In the meantime, the murder of Aboubakar Cissé leaves a grieving family, a community in shock, and legal proceedings suspended pending the medical verdict.
