Aramburu Murder: Le Priol Sentenced to 26 Years, Relief for Family
The assize court has sentenced Loïk Le Priol to 26 years in prison for the murder of Argentine rugby player Federico Aramburu. Romain Bouvier received 19 years for attempted murder.
Aramburu Trial: Verdict After Eleven Hours of Deliberation, Family Finds "Much Serenity"
After eleven hours of deliberation and three weeks of a harrowing trial, the assize court delivered its verdict on Friday, 25 September. According to France Info, Loïk Le Priol was sentenced to 26 years in prison for the murder of Federico Aramburu, a former Argentine international rugby player. His co-defendant, Romain Bouvier, was sentenced to 19 years in prison for attempted murder.
Federico Aramburu's widow, his parents and numerous relatives had travelled to the courthouse to hear the verdict. The relief was immediate. "We are leaving with the certainty that it is now clear that Federico was the victim of criminals, two criminals, and that Federico was not a violent person or a thug. This brings us much serenity," said Cecilia Aramburu, the victim's mother.
The Facts: A Fatal Drunken Brawl in the Early Morning
Federico Aramburu, a 42-year-old father of a family, was found dead on a Paris pavement in the early morning of 19 March 2022, his back riddled with bullets. The tragic outcome of a drunken brawl. The person who fired the shots, Loïk Le Priol, was a former marine commando. He and Romain Bouvier belonged at the time to far-right circles.
For four years, the two men claimed they had opened fire in self-defence and not with the intention to kill. The assize court ultimately did not uphold the aggravating circumstance of premeditation, but it underscored the shooters' rage which led to a death it described as gratuitous.
The Family's Lawyer Praises an "Objective" Decision
Me Yann Le Bras, lawyer for the Aramburu family, considered that the verdict corresponded to the facts submitted to the court. "The fact that it was not shots fired downwards for Mr Bouvier, but really shots fired at a man. We have a decision that objectively corresponds to the case that this assize court had to judge," he said at the end of the hearing.
The Defendants Renew Their Apologies
On Friday, the two convicted men renewed their apologies to Federico Aramburu's family. Their lawyers refused to comment following the verdict. Le Priol and Bouvier have ten days in which to lodge an appeal.
Source: France Info