Nearly five years following the death of Maëlys, a little girl whose disappearance had caused an immense wave of emotion in France, the accused admitted on Monday at the opening of his trial in Grenoble to have “definitely killed him”. He apologized to the family.
“I want to apologize to them, I did kill Maëlys, I did not want to kill him, I will explain the facts during the hearing”, declared from the box, in Choking with sobs, Nordahl Lelandais, 38 years old.
The accused faces life imprisonment. He has already been sentenced in Chambéry (South-East) in May 2021 to 20 years’ imprisonment for the murder of a young soldier – a verdict which he had not appealed.
A former military dog handler, he is on trial for the kidnapping, forcible confinement and murder of Maëlys De Araujo, then eight years old, in August 2017, as well as for sexual assaults once morest two of his grandchildren. cousins in the same summer.
‘Longest in Jail’
“I am waiting for him to stay in prison for the longest time, and for him to feel reassured that he is in prison,” Maëlys’ father told reporters when he arrived at the court.
The mother of the little girl, who has just published a book-story dedicated to her daughter, presented herself wearing a large painted portrait of Maëlys, which she showed to the cameras for a long time. Her eldest daughter also wore a photo of her little sister.
After the statements of the accused, the lawyer for Maëlys’ mother and sister, Me Fabien Rajon, immediately expressed the ‘skepticism’ of his clients. “We got a tear from Nordahl Lelandais, we got an apology, but it was clearly not worth much,” he said.
“Very clearly, we are not counting on Nordahl Lelandais, we are counting on a file which is 23,000 pages, on an instruction which established the personality and the dangerousness of this individual”, he continued.
In addition to the experts and investigators, around forty witnesses should be heard during the hearings. Some 250 journalists have been accredited to follow the proceedings, a considerable number for this type of case.
Compassion and indignation
From the start, four and a half years ago, this tragic news item fascinated the general public, arousing compassion for the girl’s parents and indignation towards the suspect, perceived as a manipulator and for a time suspected of being a serial killer.
As the trial approached, special files and reports devoted to the Lelandais affair multiplied once more, one of which gave rise to an investigation for ‘breach of professional secrecy’.
Sensing well in advance the ‘challenge’ of strong media pressure, the courthouse opened a second room with direct video transmission and reinforced security measures. On busy days, a ‘draw’ will determine which journalists will be admitted to the main courtroom.
And, as in the trial of the November 13 attacks, civil parties not wishing to be approached by the media will wear a red cord around their necks. As for the jurors, they will be able to benefit from psychological assistance if they wish.
Circumstances still unclear
The suspect will have to explain the circumstances which led him to kill – involuntarily according to him – Maëlys De Araujo during a wedding evening in Pont-de-Beauvoisin (South-East) on the night of August 26 to 27 2017.
It is still unclear under what conditions the little girl got into her car. The circumstances of the child’s death also remain surrounded by gray areas.
Quickly suspected despite his denials, the former soldier was finally confused by the discovery of a bloodstain in the trunk of his car. Six months following the fact, he had led the investigators to the remains of his victim, in the Chartreuse massif.
He will also be tried for sexual assault once morest two little cousins aged five and six at the time, as well as for possession and recording of child pornography images.
The verdict is expected around February 18 – if the Covid-19 pandemic does not cloud the issue.
/ ATS
