A look at the news - 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.
As a reminder of the facts, on September 12, 2013, while Fabrice A. was out and about, accompanied by a curator from the asylum, Adeline M., in order to attend an equitherapy session, overcome by madness he slit her throat. Whether or not this was a premeditated crime remained in doubt.
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 any impossible affect, the criminal in question is gravely indifferent. To the question: «Didn't the fact that Adeline was a young mother represent an obstacle [to murdering her]?», he replies: «No, I hadn't thought of that.» This arouses both undeniable hatred and a kind of petty pity for the murderer, a puppet of 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: loris.musumeci@leregardlibre.com
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