In October 2022, Dominique P. was released from his cell in Baumettes prison in Marseille. The pensioner has been held there for two years on remand, as part of an investigation into the dozens of rapes committed, by him or by unknown persons, against his wife, whom he had previously drugged. Two investigators from the criminal squad came from Paris to question him, at the request of an investigating judge from the brand new “cold case” centre in Nanterre. In the mass of unsolved files he inherited, he found that the DNA found on the shoe of a woman, the victim of an attempted rape in 1999, was that of Dominique P.
Estella B. was then a young estate agent in Seine-et-Marne. On 11 May 1999, in Villeparisis, while she was showing an apartment to a man who had come to the agency that day, the man strangled her, held a box cutter under her neck, made her lie face down, tied her up, put her hands behind her back, placed a compress soaked in ether in her mouth to put her to sleep, took off her shoes and pulled down her trousers. The unconscious victim regained consciousness, managed to free herself and drive her attacker away.
In Marseille, in October 2022, Dominique P. initially claimed to have no connection to the crime scene in front of criminal investigators. During the second interrogation, the police informed him that his DNA had been found on one of the victim’s shoes and on the carpet in the Villeparisis apartment, but he insisted on denying it. “I’ll tell you the truthannounces at the beginning of the third interrogation. Compared to this young woman who had to grow up and who questions herself. That’s me. »
“I can’t tell you”
Dominique P., then 46, said she had “an impulse” as she walked past the real estate agency where Estella B worked, but refused to talk about attempted rape.
“What would have happened if it hadn’t been released?”we asked him.
– I don’t know.
– You were still on your way to rape her.
– I can’t tell you. »
“I wasn’t planning on having a relationship with her.”He will then tell the investigating judge, stating that he had “I just want to immobilize him” (…)maybe to look at her ». Which does not prevent him from being charged with attempted rape with a weapon.
Investigators link this case to an even older one: the rape and murder of Sophie Narme on 4 December 1991 in Paris, in circumstances that bear disturbing similarities to the Estella B case. The choice of victim: Sophie Narme was also a young estate agent. The modus operandi: the young woman was raped and murdered while showing an apartment to a man who introduced himself under a false name, who strangled her, put her face down, tied her hands behind her back, inhaled ether and used a knife. Sophie Narme was injured with a knife.
You have 41.05% of this article left to read. The rest is reserved for subscribers.
