Commissioner Souchi's Trial for Injuries to 80-Year-Old Geneviève Legay During Protest

The case of the serious injury of an elderly demonstrator by law enforcement has returned to French courts. On Wednesday, February 25, a hearing was held at the Lyon Court of Appeal in the case of police commissioner Rabah Souchi. The man is accused of issuing the order that led to a charge by CRS units on Place Garibaldi in Nice on March 23, 2019. During this intervention, 73-year-old Geneviève Legay, who was participating in an unauthorized demonstration by the "Yellow Vests" movement, sustained serious injuries. Legay, who was a local spokesperson for the alter-globalization organization Attac, fell to the ground, suffering a skull injury and five fractures. The public prosecutor requested a six-month prison sentence with conditional suspension for Commissioner Souchi. In the prosecution's opinion, the accused is responsible for issuing "inappropriate orders," which had previously been confirmed in a report by the police internal oversight body, IGPN. Meanwhile, the defense, led by lawyer Laurent-Franck Liénard, attempted to portray their client as a "scapegoat" who was merely executing a legal order aimed at restoring public order. "Mr. Souchi only relayed the order given to him, which is legal, to clear the area," argued Attorney Liénard. The victim herself, Geneviève Legay, was present in the courtroom, having traveled from Nice to Lyon despite her poor health. The 80-year-old woman today told AFP: "I am a standing woman, I remain a fighter." However, her testimony to the media was harrowing. She described how, after the incident, doctors predicted her death or a vegetative state. „Le docteur avait dit à mes filles que j'allais mourir ou que je serais un légume.” (The doctor had told my daughters that I was going to die or that I would be a vegetable.) — Geneviève Legay To this day, she suffers serious, permanent consequences: she has completely lost her sense of smell, has partial loss of hearing and vision, and balance disorders that cause her to stagger when walking. 7 lat — Seven years have passed since the incident.The "Yellow Vests" movement (gilets jaunes) erupted in France in late 2018 as a spontaneous protest against fuel price hikes and a general deterioration in the financial situation of the middle and lower classes. The demonstrations, often violent and brutally suppressed, persisted for many months, becoming one of the most serious challenges for President Emmanuel Macron. The Legay case became one of the symbols of that period, also due to the authorities' reactions. Government comments at the time, including a statement by President Macron who wished the elderly woman a "sort of wisdom," were perceived as an attempt to downplay police responsibility. In the Lyon court, Legay was accompanied by about thirty Attac activists with a banner reading "Justice for Geneviève Legay and for all victims of police violence." The victim expressed hope that a favorable verdict in her case would help others. "I would like us to win, so that it creates a precedent for all the others who don't have a trial," she told journalists. The verdict in this precedent-setting case will be delivered at a later date.