Murder of Iris Coëtmen: life sentence sought against Christophe Raule
The prosecutor sought life imprisonment with a minimum term of 22 years on Friday against Christophe Raule, tried for the abduction, rape and murder of 23-year-old Iris Coëtmen in Lorient on 27 May 2023.
Life sentence sought for the murder of Iris Coëtmen
On the final day of proceedings before the assize court of Morbihan in Vannes, prosecutor Antoine Loussot sought life imprisonment against Christophe Raule on Friday 16 October. This man is standing trial for the abduction, rape and murder of 23-year-old Iris Coëtmen, committed on 27 May 2023 in Lorient. Her body was found on the banks of the Blavet in Lanester.
According to ici.fr, the prosecutor stated during his closing argument: "The number you will write must reflect the physical and sexual brutality inflicted on Iris." He did not ask for a number but for a word: the maximum sentence. The prosecutor emphasised that "Christophe Raule is the sole and only perpetrator of this rare inhumanity".
The defendant, 53 years old, has maintained his denials since the beginning of the trial despite overwhelming evidence: images of the abduction, DNA and GPS traces. Antoine Loussot stated that "denial is not sufficient to establish innocence in our judicial system". He added: "The facts speak on behalf of the accused; this case is in itself an admission of guilt."
The prosecutor sought a minimum term of 22 years, the maximum sentence provided by law. He considered Christophe Raule a dangerous individual, without empathy or self-examination, finding "no mitigating circumstances to this abject crime".
The defendant's two defence lawyers pleaded late in the morning. Me Thierry Fillion asked the court: "I simply ask you to acknowledge that this man is not a monster. There are monstrous acts, but there are only human beings."
Christophe Raule had already been sentenced to nine years in prison in 2015 by this same assize court for the rape of a student. The verdict was expected in the afternoon of 16 October 2026. The assize court had retraced on 13 October the circumstances of the night of 27 May 2023, during which Iris Coëtmen was abducted, raped and killed. Images of the young woman's final hours were shown to the court.
Source: Google News FR — Crime (fr)