Impassible Fabrice A.

A Look at Current Events – Loris S. Musumeci

Three years after the murder of the young social therapist by her patient Fabrice A., then an inmate at Geneva's «La Pâquerette» center, the trial began last week. The trial, which was supposed to shed light on the dramatic situation, has only served to obscure the case and cloud people's minds. All the newspapers in French-speaking Switzerland are talking about it, everyone is trying to understand, but no one can see anything.

To recap the facts: On September 12, 2013, while Fabrice A. was out on a day pass accompanied by a mental health facility social worker, Adeline M., on their way to a horse-assisted therapy session, he was seized by a fit of madness and slit her throat. Doubts still lingered as to whether the crime was premeditated or not.

The story turned into a horrible stagnation from last Wednesday to Friday. The prisoner did indeed take part in a typical trial scenario, in which he declared that he had planned the murder in advance, and also affirmed his feelings of guilt. But he did so without emotion. Not a smile - which might, at the very least, have confirmed his gratuitous sadism - not even a tear. No joy, no anger. Fabrice A. remained totally impassive for three days. It could well have been a shell in the face of his total collapse.

It turns out, however, that in addition to a complete lack of empathy, the criminal in question displays a profound and absurd indifference. When asked, «Did the fact that Adeline was a young mother not pose an obstacle [to murdering her]?», he replied: «No, I hadn’t thought about it.» This evokes both undeniable hatred and a kind of petty pity toward the murderer, a puppet of his impulses and perversion.

Judgment was suspended on Friday. The experts want to be certain that they are dealing with a psychopath. Whether he is or not, what difference does it make? Should the crime be justified by the illness? The case is by no means closed, whether Mr. «Fabrice A.» likes it or not. As far as he's concerned, it's just another opportunity to play with psychiatrists, those crazy investigators.

Write to the author: [email protected]