2023 – The Maria case: a legal battle against police violence

On 8 December 2018, the day after a “Yellow Vests” demonstration in Marseille, Maria, aged 19, was violently assaulted by police officers. A shot from a defensive ball launcher (LBD) knocked her to the ground. A series of kicks and baton blows followed, in full view of the CCTV cameras. She suffered a fractured skull and a brain haemorrhage. Yet the IGPN, the “police of the police”, quickly concluded that there was no case to answer, as the perpetrators could not be identified.

But Maria was not alone. Her lawyer, Brice Grazzini, refused to accept that the case should be buried. In April 2019, he filed a complaint against persons unknown for “attempted murder”, “aggravated intentional violence”, “failure to assist a person in danger” and “failure to prevent the commission of an offence”. His aim: to bypass the IGPN and force the judicial authorities to investigate the responsibility of the State.

After several refusals and dismissals, the case took a turn in 2023. Under the pressure of new evidence brought by the lawyer, the investigation was reopened. Maria’s quest for justice has become a symbol of police violence in France and of the obstacles victims face in obtaining redress.

The Maria case is more than a legal file. It illustrates the fight against impunity and the shortcomings of certain internal investigations. Thanks to her lawyer’s perseverance, Maria now has hope that her attackers will be identified and brought to justice.

Read the Huffington Post article on the case (in French): link to the article