After the murder of the priest Olivier Maire, Gérald Darmanin visited the religious congregation of the deceased on Monday, August 9. During a press conference, he was moved by the criticism made shortly after the tragedy, in particular by Marine Le Pen, without naming her.
“Some have yielded to the temptation of controversy, to the temptation of demagoguery at a time when the spirit and body of this priest were not yet at peace,” he lamented before explaining the priest’s situation. Fire in the cathedral of Nantes.
In fact, he returned to a controversy built by several opposition politicians, denouncing the presence of the suspect in France, despite the obligation to leave the territory, suspended by judicial control. “We were unable to carry out the decision to expel this person from the national territory since he spent several months in prison and then he was released under judicial supervision. This judicial control explicitly stipulated that he could not leave the territory while awaiting the judicial decision, ”explained the Minister of the Interior.
Gérald Darmanin also indicated that “attacking a priest, attacking a man of the church, is always attacking the soul of France. (…) I mean how much we think and want the truth to be made about this heinous act “
The suspect was questioned and an investigation for “involuntary manslaughter” was opened.