Crépol case: investigating judge considers Thomas Perotto’s death a charge aggravated by racism

Crépol – 24 July 2026: Almost three years after the deadly night of the winter dance in Crépol, the justice system has given the case of 16-year-old Thomas Perotto a new legal turn. The investigating judge took into account the aggravating circumstance of a racist motive with regard to the 14 defendants. The decision became known on Thursday, 23 July 2026.

Thomas Perotto was fatally injured during the night of 18 to 19 November 2023, following a violent altercation in front of the village hall in the Drôme. Several other young people were also injured. The case shook the region and quickly became a highly charged national issue in which grief, fear and political interpretations repeatedly intertwined.

According to corroborating reports, the new legal classification is based on witness statements claiming that racist expressions were heard at the end of the dance night. The investigating judge therefore carried out a new assessment of the charges in a second closing order dated 20 July. However, it will be up to the competent criminal court to determine whether this assessment can subsequently be proven at trial and in what manner.

The 14 men, including people who were allegedly minors at the time of the events, remain charged. They benefit from the presumption of innocence. The investigation had focused on charges of murder and attempted murder committed by an organized group. In June 2026, the Valence Public Prosecutor’s Office requested that eleven defendants be referred to the criminal court, without including the racist element in its final submission.

This very difference between the prosecution and the investigating judge is now generating new debate. A defence lawyer told Franceinfo that he wondered whether media or political pressure could have influenced the decision. This is a defence position, not an established conclusion. By contrast, the lawyer for a victims’ association expressly welcomed the new assessment.

The decision does not yet constitute a judgment and does not definitively establish either a specific sequence of events or personal responsibilities. However, it may shape the framework of future proceedings: the court would have to rule not only on the acts of violence and possible individual involvement, but also on whether the victims were attacked because of their actual or attributed origin, nationality or skin colour.

For Crépol, the case remains more than a case number. The small village became a symbol of a debate that often unfolded more quickly and more stridently than the proceedings themselves. The task of the justice system now is to examine the testimony, evidence and responsibilities objectively, and to allow Thomas Perotto’s relatives, after so much time, access to sound proceedings in accordance with the rule of law.