A video went viral on social media.
There Compiègne station was crowded. Friday, December 6 in the middle of the afternoon, the police arrested Ousman Abrahim Abdallah, Sudanese refugee 30 years old. Seeing him gesticulating with a knife in his hand, in a state of obvious intoxication, many SNCF users left the station hall.
Three days later, the court judges him in immediate appearance. He is notably accused of having committed violence towards an individual, whom he allegedly pushed with his shoulder, knife in hand. He also appears for carrying a weapon without legitimate reason and for drunkenness on the public highway.
The images of the violent arrest, taken by a witness, made the rounds on the networks. We see a police officer grab Ousman Abrahim Abdallah by the neck and push him to the ground.
Born on January 1, 1994 in Sudan, recently arrived in France, the defendant needs an Arabic interpreter. He has an imprecise memory of events. “I had drunk two shots of vodka,” he recalls. Because I am often stressed…”
Public and manifest drunkenness, precarious balance
Initially, the police were responding to an individual masturbating in public. The video surveillance images do not show any sexual exhibition. On the other hand, we see the defendant taking out a knife, in a crowded station hall. Dressed in black, Air Max hoodie, green backpack… he shows signs of public and obvious intoxication, as well as a precarious balance.
He doesn’t remember shoving a user with his shoulder. On the other hand, an individual managed to disarm him of the knife, immediately entrusting it to the station ticket agents. “I did take out that knife,” he said, looking at the photos shown to him in court. That’s me in the pictures. I remember someone took the knife out of my hands when I was on the ground.”
Why take out a knife in the station? “It’s a kitchen knife that I wanted to take home,” he explains. I don’t know what made me release it.” “You understand that people were afraid? the president told him. There was a crowd movement.” He responds that he saw “people panicking.”
Sudanese arrived in France in 2016
The defendant has an entry in his record for violence against a municipal police officer. This earned him 70 hours of community service (TIG), which he has not yet completed. He does not respond to calls from justice following this conviction. He also received a suspended fine for habitual train travel without a ticket.
In France since 2016, he has had a residence permit and lives at the Coallia home. Single without children, he no longer has contact with his family. He worked in construction for a year. “But at the moment, it’s calm,” he explains.
“I’m generally quite calm…” he sums up.
“A certain excitement at Compiègne station”
“He is appearing for two offenses and a traffic ticket,” says the prosecutor. The facts are serious enough to justify an immediate appearance. There was quite a stir at Compiègne station. There was first suspicion of sexual exhibition, but it was more aggressive behavior that he was accused of. On the video surveillance, we can clearly see this weapon. The victim has not been identified. He pushed her with a knife in his hand. He doesn’t know why he took this gun out of his backpack. But it has materialized. »
He dances in the middle of the station, takes out a knife then attacks a user, summarizes the prosecutor, noting a problematic alcohol addiction. “Her precarious situation must be taken into consideration,” she said. He needs care.”
She requires seven months in prison with reinforced probationary suspension, “in view of her precarious situation”. “It is adapted to the seriousness of the facts, the aggravating circumstance of alcohol and legal repeat offenses,” she believes. It requires the obligation of work, care, carrying a weapon for five years, confiscation of the knife and a €50 fine for drunkenness on public roads.
“I don’t see my client attacking anyone”
“Clear drunkenness is not questionable, nor is carrying a weapon,” argues Master Jonathan Sorriaux. On the other hand, regarding the violence, I do not see my client pushing anyone on the video surveillance images. He does not recognize the facts.”
The defense mentions refugee status. “The Geneva Convention grants this status to people who run risks by returning to their country,” he recalls. Behind it, there is trauma. We can no longer have contact with his embassy. Once you have this status, in France, there is no social support. There is indeed a center in Paris. But it is overloaded by Parisians. They refuse people from Oise.”
He considers that his client needs addiction treatment. “Pronouncing seven months of reinforced probationary suspension seems too much to me,” he pleads. A three-month sentence with treatment seems more appropriate to me.”
He receives four months in prison with reinforced probationary suspension for two years, with the required obligations.
