Patrick Henry, the murderer of a 7 year old child soon learn his fate – Le Figaro

The man convicted in 1976 will know Thursday if his parole is confirmed.

Patrick Henry, 62, sentenced in 1977 to life imprisonment for the murder of a child, can it regain freedom? The Court of Appeal of Paris Thursday to examine his request for parole, obtained in January but blocked by an appeal by the prosecution. Indeed, the court responsible Melun sentences had granted the prisoner to 62 years a 16-month probation course. Prosecutors had immediately appealed the decision, saying “not enough framing” accompaniment provided to the inmate returned to prison in 2002 after the failure of his rehabilitation.

“Patrick Henry changed, he received psychotherapy and well integrated the reasons for its failure,” said his lawyer, Ms Carine Delaby-Faure. Given his age and his chances of reintegration, “if he does not come out now, it will never come out,” says the lawyer Lille. “We all understand that this issue was not that of the legal implications,” said Mr. Delaby-Faure.

“Fairly confident” before pleading before the Tenth Chamber of the Court of Appeal of Paris in the presence of his client to be removed for the hearing of the Melun detention center, she intends to rely on a “well-reasoned judgment at first instance and an accompanying draft highly regulated, unlike the reproach of parquet” . On January 8, the judges decided to give Patrick Henry several furloughs on three months and then a semi-liberty in Lille center for six months, and finally eight months of the electronic bracelet port. This fourth request for parole was filed in July 2014, after the rejection of a presidential pardon.

narrowly averted death penalty

Patrick Henry, nicknamed “the monster”, was arrested in February 1976 for the murder of Philippe Bertrand. The 7 year old was kidnapped outside her school January 30, 1976, in Troyes. In the hours following the kidnapping, Patrick Henry called the family of small, announces that it has children and demands a ransom of one million francs. The police, informed of the situation, locates man after a second call from a phone box in Troyes. Patrick Henry is then shadowed. Follows a long game of cat and mouse that will lead to the discovery on 17 February, the body of the child wrapped in a carpet, under a bed in a hotel room rented by the murderer .

“Every mother, every father lump in his throat when he thinks of what happened in Troyes’

the story causes stir the anger of the whole nation. The next evening, Roger Gicquel, while television news presenter of TF1, opens its edition by “France is afraid.” A highlight of French television. “Every mother, every father lump in his throat when he thinks of what happened at Troyes. When he thinks that murderer of 23 years – a relationship of parents of small Philippe – a well dressed businessman, who did believe the way the parents that the child was alive. A young man seemingly passion that can not be anything but a kind of mental patient, “says the presenter during a long tirade.

A year later, his trial became one of the most famous court cases what have known France. By telescoping the trial of Patrick Henry becomes that of the death penalty. “If you vote as Mr Advocate General requested, I tell you, the time will pass, it will be the end of the tumult, encouragement, you will remain alone with your decision. We will abolish the death penalty, and you will remain alone with your verdict, forever, “Robert Badinter was launched to the jury’s attention during an impassioned plea. The murderer then sentenced to life imprisonment.

Arrested in possession of nearly 10 kg of cannabis

Considered a model prisoner, he had obtained his parole after 25 years in prison and was released in May 2001 under the media spotlight .It became computer scientist and published in 2002 a book, “Do you regret it?” which the press was echoed and which allowed him to earn around 100,000 euros. Became a face of reintegration, he had broken this image a shoplifting in June 2002 and his arrest in Spain in October of the same year, in possession of nearly 10 kg of cannabis, had brought in prison.

extradited to France in April 2003, his parole was subsequently revoked. He was sentenced the same year by the Criminal Court of Caen to four years imprisonment and a 20,000 euro fine, upheld on appeal decision. Since his return to prison, Patrick Henry had already presented three other parole applications, one was accepted in 2007 by the court before being released after a call from the floor.