The mayor of Romans-sur-Isère, Marie-Hélène Thoraval, has strongly criticized a newly published book on the Crépol attack, accusing its authors of distorting the truth and downplaying the racial and social tensions at the heart of the tragedy.
The book, written by investigative journalists Jean-Michel Décugis, Pauline Guéna, and Marc Leplongeon, seeks to reframe the Nov. 18, 2023, attack in Crépol as a politically exploited “news item” rather than a racially-motivated crime.
The attack, which resulted in the death of a White teenager named Thomas and serious injuries to three others, was carried out by a group of Black youths outside a village dance. Witnesses reported that one of the attackers declared, “We are here to stab White people.” However, the book claims the incident was “seized upon” by “fascists” and questions the racial undertones that many — including the victims’ families — believe were central to the crime.
Speaking to Valeurs Actuelles, Mayor Thoraval accused the authors of rewriting history and ignoring the stark reality of the social divide in France.
“They are trying to downplay the Crépol attack by presenting a watered-down, even distorted, version of reality. It is a dramatic provocation aimed at the families,” she said.
She further warned of “religious communitarianism” eroding the country, pointing to the neighborhood of La Monnaie in Romans-sur-Isère, where the attackers were from.
“Forty years ago, it was a working-class neighborhood. Today, it has become a community enclave, welcoming an uninterrupted flow of immigration. In these neighborhoods, the rules and customs in place are no longer those of the Republic. Lawless zones are being established, where the law of religion and drug trafficking prevails.”
One of the controversies reignited by the book is the absence of a police report mentioning anti-White racism as a possible motive for the attack. The mayor recalled a meeting between then-Minister Olivier Véran and the victims’ families, during which they unanimously testified that the attackers had shouted openly racist and anti-French insults.
“Denying the existence of anti-White racism is absurd. Racism cannot only go one way. Imagine if the situation were reversed, if youths from Crépol had attacked a party in La Monnaie. Anti-racist organizations would have immediately taken up the case, and this tragedy would never have been dismissed as a simple fight.”
Thoraval firmly rejected the notion that the attack was a random act of violence, calling it a premeditated assault.
“Crépol wasn’t a brawl or a fight. It was an attack and a punitive expedition. The youths at La Monnaie weren’t ‘equipped’ with knives, as I’ve read or heard. They were armed with knives. To claim otherwise is to perpetuate an unbearable culture of excuses.”
Over a year after the attack, Thomas’s family and the residents of Crépol remain deeply affected. Many are still struggling with legal fees and are frustrated by the slow pace of justice.
“They come across videos showing one of the arrested attackers partying in prison. No one talks about it, and they suffer in silence. Their lives have been turned upside down. An entire village will remain traumatized,” she said.
“Their anger is disturbing [for the elites] because it forces political leaders to acknowledge that their migration and integration policies have failed utterly. The families of Crépol still carry the energy of anger within them. But they are bruised, wounded. They have been given life sentences.”
Thoraval revealed she is still in regular contact with Thomas’ family who remain determined to fight for justice.
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