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Join on Telegram Rabat – The trial of the man accused of fatally striking 13-year-old Aymen in Montpellier during celebrations following the 2022 World Cup semi-final between France and Morocco opens this Wednesday before the Hérault Criminal Court.
The tragedy, which happened on December 14, 2022, cast a shadow over the tournament and deeply affected the local community.
Nearly a thousand people gathered in Montpellier’s La Mosson neighborhood days later, holding white roses in silent tribute to the young boy. “It’s a delicate case because it involves the death of a child,” said Marc Gallix, the family’s lawyer, ahead of the proceedings.
According to the investigation, a group of youths had reportedly torn a French flag from the car of the accused just moments before the fatal event.
In response, the driver allegedly accelerated suddenly, made a U-turn on tramway tracks, and struck several people, including Aymen, who succumbed to his injuries shortly after receiving medical care. Another teenager was injured in the collision.
The driver fled the scene and was arrested 12 days later in the Pyrénées-Orientales. He was charged with “intentional violence with a weapon resulting in death without intent to kill” and “intentional violence with a weapon causing total incapacity to work exceeding eight days.”
A family member was also indicted for allegedly helping him evade arrest and will be tried alongside him.
The two-day trial is expected to revisit several unresolved questions: who else was in the car, whether the vehicle was attacked before or after the collision, and the role of the driver’s relatives in his escape.
The accused, identified as William C., was 20 at the time. Born to a Moroccan father and a mother from the Traveller community, he was diagnosed with cognitive impairment during psychological evaluation.
After initially remaining silent, he later told investigators he was “sorry,” claiming he did not realize he had injured or killed anyone.
His lawyer, Jean-Baptiste Mousset, said his client endured repeated death threats and violence while in custody. Initially held in Perpignan, he was later transferred to Béziers following an assault by fellow inmates.
