Murder of Saïdou, aged 15, in Draveil: nine defendants tried at Essonne Assize Court
Nine young men have been appearing since 10 February 2026 before Assize Court for the murder of Saïdou, stabbed in July 2020 in Draveil at the age of 15.
Nine defendants at Assize Court for the murder of Saïdou, stabbed at aged 15 during a brawl in Draveil
Nine young men have been tried since Tuesday, 10 February 2026 before Essonne Assize Court for the murder of Saïdou, a 15-year-old adolescent stabbed in July 2020 in Draveil, according to actu.fr. The majority of the accused deny the charges against them.
The crime took place in a context of rivalries between popular neighbourhoods, which are frequent in this department. The tensions then pitted young people from Mazières, in Draveil, against those from Bergeries, an area straddling Draveil and Vigneux-sur-Seine.
A punitive expedition during the night of 29 to 30 July 2020
Two days before the incident, Saïdou allegedly attempted to steal a motorcycle in Draveil — an attempt that the investigation was unable to establish with certainty. A confrontation with the owner reportedly resulted in a compensation agreement. Shortly afterwards, tensions escalated when a young person from Bergeries was accused of having reported Saïdou.
During the night of 29 to 30 July 2020, around fifteen young people from the Bergeries neighbourhood, armed with knives, tear-gas canisters and at least one rifle, went to Mazières as part of a punitive expedition. They intercepted a vehicle in which Saïdou was travelling, beat him, then stabbed him in the aorta. The adolescent died at the scene.
Eight accused of organised gang murder, a ninth for destruction of evidence
Eight of the accused, all adults at the time of the facts, are appearing before Évry-Courcouronnes judicial court for organised gang murder and attempted murder of one of the victim's friends. A ninth defendant is being prosecuted for destruction or alteration of evidence, namely a van that was used to transport several of those involved.
Only one of the accused, suspected of having dealt the fatal blow, is appearing in custody. This is Rayan, 28 years old today, imprisoned since September 2020 at Fresnes prison in Val-de-Marne. Those close to him describe him as a young man who is "kind" and a "mediator", according to a personality investigator heard at the hearing. Rayan stated that he had taken "a step back" from "violence", from "fighting over nothing when I was young, over a 'where are you from?'", but formally contests having dealt the fatal blow.
Another defendant, Daryl, aged 20 at the time of the facts, is one of only two to have acknowledged his presence at the scene that night. "If I had known it was going to end up being dramatic, I would never have set foot in Mazières. I knew the victim personally. I will pay for my part in my involvement," he stated from the stand.
The first day devoted to personality investigations
The first day of the hearing was dedicated to personality investigations of the various accused. In the dock, Saïdou's father wept. Two sisters and a friend of the victim constituted themselves as civil parties for this trial, scheduled until 27 February. Other civil parties, who were absent, were represented.
A few months after the murder, a man accompanying the main suspect was attacked with a knife in the same city. Saïdou's elder brother and an accomplice will be tried from 10 to 13 March before the same Essonne Assize Court for this assault, which is regarded as potential reprisal.
Essonne, a department marked by inter-neighbourhood brawls between gangs
With a population of 1.3 million inhabitants, Essonne regularly witnesses inter-neighbourhood confrontations between groups of young people. These acts of violence resulted in three deaths in 2025: a 17-year-old adolescent stabbed in Yerres in March, an 18-year-old young man killed outside Évry-Courcouronnes RER station in October, and a 22-year-old man stabbed in Athis-Mons in December.
Source: Google News FR — Crime (fr)