Man charged with violence against girlfriend

A 28-year-old man was brought before the court in Tahiti on Thursday for an immediate trial on charges of two instances of violence committed against his girlfriend. The accused, who was receiving a Cotorep pension and was unemployed, was sentenced to three years in prison, one of which was suspended for two years.

Immediate trial in presence of child

The correctional court held an immediate trial for the man, who was being prosecuted for violence against his girlfriend in the presence of their six-year-old son. He was accused of striking the victim twice.

History of violent incidents

In September, he had previously attacked her by pressing a cigarette onto her arm and hit her with punches for a reason related to jealousy. On October 27, the young man violently attacked his girlfriend again because she was making their son do his homework. He slapped her and pushed her down the stairs.

Victim defends herself with a hammer

To defend herself, the victim threw a hammer at him. The accused then grabbed a knife with a 25 cm blade and repeatedly threatened to kill her in front of their son. Thanks to the intervention of a courageous neighbor, the scene ended.

Child's testimony shocks court

The court president expressed indignation upon reading the statements of the young boy, noting that there was blood on both parents and that the child had said, "Dad wants to kill mom." The child had been placed with a foster family.

Accused claims anger, not intent to kill

Confronted with the facts, the accused explained that he was "angry" that day but had never wanted to kill the victim. While he claimed he suffers from schizophrenia, the court president reminded him that the psychiatric expert had detected no mental illness during their interview.

Prosecutor highlights child's trauma

The public prosecutor emphasized the presence of the child amid extremely violent scenes, stating, "As told through the eyes of this child, it is terrifying, he had the fear that his mother would die in front of him." Before requesting three years in prison, including six months suspended for two years, the representative of the public prosecutor also emphasized that the accused was being tried under the legal recidivism status for having previously been convicted of similar offenses.

Defense argues for lighter sentence

The defense lawyer of the accused, Me Viviane Genot, said the prosecution's demands were "too heavy," stating that her client "never wanted to kill" the victim. "He admits it, he cooperated, and the knife was only to scare her," she added.

Court sentences man and removes parental rights

After deliberating, the court sentenced the young man to three years in prison, one of which was suspended for two years. It also ordered the removal of parental authority.