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Sarah Halimi’s family vows to fight on after psychiatric report rules suspect unfit to stand trial

Her brother reacts after another report into alleged killer’s mental condition says he was not responsible for his actions

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The family of murdered Jewish physician Sarah Halimi has vowed to keep fighting for justice after psychiatrists concluded the only suspect in the case is not fit to stand trial.

A report into Kobili Traoré’s mental condition released on Monday confirmed an earlier assessment that he was not responsible for his actions in Paris in April 2017.

The finding could mean Mr Traoré never stands trial for Ms Halimi’s murder.

But the victim’s brother William Attal told the JC that he would not give up on his sister, adding: “She deserves justice.”

Ms Halimi, who was Orthodox, was killed after an assailant broke into her council flat in eastern Paris on the night of April 3, 2017. She was assaulted and thrown out of her balcony.

Witnesses said her assailant shouted she was the “demon” and recited verses from the Koran while he was beating her, in what a judge subsequently ruled was an antisemitic attack.

Mr Traoré was also reported to have intimidated the Halimi family and called her daughter “a dirty Jewess” in 2015.

The first assessment of the suspect, who is originally from Mali and is the only suspect in the case, ruled he could stand trial because he had only partially lost his judgment despite taking drugs in the hours leading to the attack that resulted in Ms Halimi’s death.

But that outcome was overturned last summer by a second psychiatric assessment, which was confirmed by the third announced on Monday.

The lawyer representing Sarah Halimi’s family told the JC that this latest report did not mean the case was over and that Mr Traoré would not be tried.

“It’s much more complex than that,” Gilles William Goldnadel said, adding that he would make a statement on the position tomorrow.

Ms Halimi’s family argue she was killed in a premeditated attack and accused the magistrate investigating the case of dismissing facts that they say prove the suspect was responsible.

“It’s likely the investigating magistrate will dismiss the case but if she does, we will appeal that decision,” Mr Attal said, claiming that there were a dozen other elements that establish Mr Traoré was fully aware of his actions.

“He even tried to simulate the murder, pretending my sister was committing suicide when he was attacking her

“Nine security officers were on the other side of the door, hearing my sister shouting, and they did nothing to save her.

“Other police officers told me that when they hear shouting they break in their doors. But in my sister’s case, they just stood there.”

President Emmanuel Macron has referred to the Sarah Halimi case on several occasions as an example of growing antisemitism in France.

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