New revelations come to light about the violent past of the 33-year-old French national who has been charged with intentional homicide after hitting and killing a 36-year-old woman with his car, in Heraklion, Crete, on Wednesday, Dec. 18.
The perpetrator was brought before the prosecutor on Thursday. After being charged, he was referred to an investigative judge, from whom he requested and received time to prepare his statement.
A History of Violence
Investigations have revealed that in the past, the 33-year-old had attempted to harm others with his car. Citizens who were previously victims of this individual have reported that police failed to act adequately.
One of the accused’s previous victims shared a chilling account of a similar incident. “The man who killed the woman in Heraklion had done the same to me on December 1st,” she said. “He was driving recklessly in the middle of the road, swerving back and forth, trying to run over a woman. Then, he got out of the car and slapped her. When we confronted him outside our home, he claimed she was trying to steal. We had never seen him before, and we were shocked because in a small community, everyone knows each other.”
Later, as the suspect attempted to flee the scene, another local resident tried to stop him by placing a trash bin in his path. The suspect rammed the bin, causing it to hit the resident and a nearby motorcycle.
The resident was injured and required stitches, but despite providing police with partial license plate numbers and security footage from neighbors, no follow-up action was taken. “If the police had acted on the evidence, that woman would still be alive,” the resident said.
Violent Toward His Ex-Partner
Reports also indicate the man was abusive toward his ex-partner. A friend of the couple stated, “She narrowly escaped death,” adding that his threats also extended to his ex-partner’s child.
“The first time he tried to kill her, she filed a lawsuit. The second time, she sought a restraining order. He wouldn’t let her leave the house and monitored her phone.”
A court hearing regarding his abusive behavior had been scheduled, but was eventually postponed. This allowed the 33-year-old to continue harassing his ex-partner, who eventually had to move to a different area to escape him.
As reported, in the past the man had been involved in several violent incidents. However, despite his violent past and multiple complaints pending against him, the 33-year-old remained free. Just six days before the murder, he underwent a psychiatric evaluation, which determined that hospitalization in a psychiatric clinic was unnecessary.
