Trial in Paris for the murder of Federico Aramburú: tributes and a first defendant who denies homicidal intent
The trial over the death of former Argentine rugby player Federico Aramburú is proceeding in Paris amid tributes and a controversial defence by the accused.
Tributes and controversy in the trial for Federico Aramburú's murder in Paris
According to france24.com, the first week of hearings before the Provincial Court of Paris in the murder case of former Argentine rugby player Federico Aramburú produced controversial statements from the accused and a series of institutional and sporting tributes to the victim.
The Paris City Council announced on Wednesday 9 September the creation of the Federico Aramburú Prize, with the aim of keeping his memory alive and associating his name with the values of fraternity. In a statement, the municipality specified that the first presentation of the award will take place on 19 March 2027, five years after the crime.
"On 19 March 2022, at the age of 42, Federico Martín Aramburú was shot dead in Paris, in the Saint-Germain district, following an attack carried out by far-right activists," the City Council stated in the text. The city had already paid tribute to Aramburú in 2023 through a commemorative ceremony organised on the Boulevard Saint-Germain, at the exact location of the crime. On that occasion, Pierre Rabadan, councillor for Sport and a former professional rugby player, delivered a speech in which he stated: "Federico Martín Aramburú will be one of the faces of this struggle" against far-right extremism.
The accused and their version of events
The two men on trial for the crime are Loïk Le Priol, a former member of Navy commandos and a far-right activist, and Romain Bouvier, who was involved with the radical group GUD during his law studies. Before the court, Le Priol admitted to being "the author of" Aramburú's death, but denied having any intention to kill him. He maintained that he drew the weapon solely to defend himself after receiving, according to his account, "a barrage of blows" from the former rugby player himself.
This line of defence was questioned by evidence presented to the court. An investigator recalled that "people who want to kill usually empty the magazine completely," to the last bullet. That is precisely what both accused men did: Bouvier fired four times and Le Priol, six times. A forensic pathologist who testified on Friday stated that it was two shots to the back that caused Aramburú's death.
On 10 September, the Voltaire courtroom where the trial is being held received a complete reconstruction of that night. Images from several surveillance cameras in the district allowed the sequence of events to be followed: from an argument on the terrace of the "Le Mabillon" café to a fight in front of a nearby shop and the shots fired by the two activists. The parents of "Fede", who had travelled from Argentina, were unable to watch the videos through to the end and chose to leave the courtroom.
The Biarritz connection and tributes from the rugby world
Aramburú had played for Biarritz Olympique, the club with which he won two French championship titles. In March 2022 he was in Paris with his partner and friend Shaun Hegarty: they both ran an agency dedicated to organising rugby-related travel and had travelled to attend, with clients, the France v England match in the Six Nations Championship.
The death of the former player caused deep shock in French Basque country. This week, Biarritz Olympique published a statement recalling that "the mark Fede left on the club goes far beyond the titles he won" and that "more than four years after his death, his memory remains deeply rooted in the club's memory". The club organises an annual tournament in his name.
During the second division match played on Thursday at home against Colomiers, the 13th minute—the shirt number Aramburú wore—was greeted with an ovation from the stands. Following the victory, Biarritz's head coach, Boris Bouhraoua, told Rugbyrama: "Tonight we paid tribute to Fede, something important for us, in order to support María, Fede's family and Shaun."
Next week and awaiting the verdict
The trial will continue next week with the intervention of the civil parties. María, Aramburú's widow, will speak before the court about her late husband and their three children. Several rugby personalities are scheduled to testify, including former French player Thomas Lièvremont and Argentine Gonzalo Quesada, the current selector of Italy. Shaun Hegarty will also testify and will face the two men for the first time in court proceedings—men against whom he fought on the night of the crime alongside his friend.
The verdict is expected on 25 September. Le Priol, 32, and Bouvier, 35, face charges of murder committed on 19 March 2022 in the heart of Paris.
Source: Google News AR — Crime