A 64-year-old man with long-standing psychotic disorders and cognitive limitations faced trial in Paris this week for a second sexual assault on public transport. The hearing took place at the 10th correctional chamber of the Paris Tribunal, where the defendant sat motionless throughout, his lower lip slack and his gaze fixed without focus. Medical documentation indicated he had experienced psychotic episodes since age 19, with his ability to comprehend events compromised at the time of the offense. His sisters, seated in the courtroom, later described how he frequently wandered the streets of Noisy-le-Sec.
The attack on the RER B
The assault occurred on April 9, 2026, when officers monitoring a known “frotteur” hotspot near the Saint-Michel-Notre-Dame station observed the man near a crowded RER B train. He pushed past security to press against a 24-year-old woman as the doors closed. For several minutes, he rubbed his groin against her before slipping his hand under her bag to grope her buttocks while masturbating with his other hand. When the train stopped, she placed her purse between them, ending the contact. Police confirmed her account: “I felt his sex and his warm breath on my neck.”
A legal debate
The case centered on whether the man’s actions stemmed from deliberate exploitation of his perceived vulnerability or from involuntary impulses beyond his control. Prosecutors emphasized recidivism, citing his 2025 conviction for identical behavior, and sought eight months in prison, including electronic monitoring and a ban from Île-de-France transit. The defense argued his antipsychotic medication managed his impulses, while his chronic condition prevented him from understanding consent—or even the nature of his actions.
When questioned by the judge, the defendant provided only vague responses. Asked if he was attracted to young women, he replied, “I don’t know.” When pressed about his first sexual encounter, he answered, “I was married in Algeria.” Told this was his first custody hearing for such crimes, he simply grunted, “Nothing.”
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The judge addressed high school students present in the courtroom, reading a prepared statement: “Public transport’s anonymity and crowding create ideal conditions for sexual violence. 70% of female passengers report at least one incident of harassment or assault.” The data highlighted the broader issue, though the trial focused on the defendant’s inability to control his behavior.
The judge’s eventual ruling balanced these conflicting priorities by avoiding the label of récidive légale, despite the identical 2025 conviction, based on the psychiatric assessment. The court accepted that his chronic psychosis and intellectual limitations prevented him from forming criminal intent or grasping the harm caused.
The ruling also required periodic evaluations at the centre médico-psychologique de Noisy-le-Sec, where he had received treatment since the 1980s. These assessments would determine if his medication remained effective or needed adjustment. The defense had warned that abrupt changes, given his unstable access to care, could trigger psychotic episodes, increasing rather than reducing unpredictability. The judge’s decision linked his sentence to these reviews, creating a fragile balance: accountability for past acts, but with recognition that his capacity to repeat them depended on factors beyond his control.
