More than four months after Lina’s disappearance in Alsace, the 15-year-old’s mother said “to keep hope” Friday, while expressing his “frustration” the day after a meeting with the two investigating judges in charge of the investigation.
“This is what makes me get up every morning. I have no choice but to remain hopeful”testified Fanny Groll during a press conference. “I would like to know, to understand”she continued, confident “think all the time”.
She and her lawyer, Matthieu Airoldi, repeated their “frustration” not to be kept further informed of the investigation. He also criticized the Saverne public prosecutor’s office for the handling of a complaint from Lina, fifteen months before her disappearance. In June 2022, Lina, then aged 13 and a half, filed a complaint for acts described as “gang rape”.
Mr. Airoldi asked the Saverne prosecutor’s office “explanations”at a time “on the classification without further action” of the complaint and “on the fact that Lina’s disappearance leads to a re-examination of the complaint”. Considering that the procedure was “badly done”he announced that his client was going to file a complaint with a civil party, which will result in referral to an investigating judge.
Ms. Groll said she felt “betrayed” upon learning of this dismissal when she thought the case was still ongoing. “By not acting, they did not protect her, even though at 13 and a half years old she really needed the justice system to protect her”.
The teenager disappeared after leaving her home in Plaine (Bas-Rhin), to get to the Saint-Blaise-la-Roche station, about three kilometers away, a journey on foot that she was used to making.