Guy Coponet, 92, described the horror of the attack in the Paris Special Assize Court. One of the three accused asked for forgiveness to the murdered priest’s sister.
by
It is rare to hear a “I greet you Marie” in the middle of the Assize Court. And even more not to judge this moved. The testimony of Guy Coponet, Thursday, February 17, seriously injured in the attack of the Church of Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray (Seine-Maritime), followed by that of Roseline Hamel, the sister of the murdered priest on July 26, 2016 By Adel Kermiche and Abdel-Malik Petitjean, turned a time into the Cathedral the Voltaire Room of the Paris Special Assize Court.
Guy Coponet is now 92 years old, his wife died last year, after sixty-eight years of wedding. It walks vaulted, of a safe but frail step, has the traits and the dry body of a mountainy. Tuesday, July 26, 2016, it was his birthday: 87 years old. Not a reason to derogate from the Mass at which he attends with his wife, Janine, on weekdays like Sunday. “That morning, it was nice, Father Hamel (…) was cheerful because he was going to go on vacation. There were fewer people than usual, luckily”. Apart from the couple Coponet, only three nuns attend mass.
Around 9:20 am, a young man enters the church by the sacristy, which gives directly to the choir. One of the sisters tells him to go back in five minutes, that Mass ends. Adel Kermiche and Abdel-Malik Petitjean come back: “They started, basically, to disguise himself,” says Guy Coponet, one ringing his forehead of a headband, the other endeavor “a box around the body with Yellow scotch, “a dummy explosive belt. “A play, we put the clothes to hold its role,” says Mr Coponet.
“It’s been engraved, you know”
Then Abdel-Malik Petitjean stands the priest of 85 years and asks him several knife stabs, with the neck, he pierces him a coast. Adel Kermiche obliges Guy Coponet to film the scene. “I do not know what guided these two lascars”, Grommelle the old man about his role as photographer, while apologizing to use the word “lascars”.
Kermiche the force to get closer to the altar while Petitjean puts Jacques Hamel on his knees. “They dragged the poor man on the ground. He defended him as he could with his feet. It was at that moment that he said,” Satan go is you! “Then I Since the blood began to vomit everything red, he has not moved the poor, it was over for him. It was awful. “
The two jihadists then destroy their two phones, including the one used to film, then attack Guy Coponet. “I told him,” What are you going to do? You will kill your grandfather? “It was quickly done. He saw me in the back, the arm then the throat. Then they swayed me down the platform. I said,” Especially do not move , because if you are moving, he will finish you “.” The old man makes the dead, while compressing his wound of 21 cm to the neck. “An attempt to slash”, had confirmed the medical examiner the day before, adding that compression “had probably saved him life”. One of the three nuns benefits from the tumult to get out of the church, without reaction of terrorists.
You have 63.66% of this article to read. The rest is reserved for subscribers.