PARIS: France’s conservative government is under mounting pressure following the arrest of a Moroccan national in Switzerland, suspected of the brutal murder of a 19-year-old university student in a Paris park. The alleged attacker, a 22-year-old previously convicted of rape, was subject to a deportation order but remained in France.
Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, who recently took office, condemned the “abhorrent crime” and vowed to tighten immigration laws and facilitate the deportation of foreign criminals. “If we must change the rules, then let us change them,” he declared, signalling a tough new stance.
The victim, identified only as Philippine, was found in the Bois de Boulogne, near her university, after last being seen on Friday. The suspect, who had violated his release conditions, was arrested in Geneva and is awaiting extradition to France.
The crime has ignited political tensions, with far-right leader Jordan Bardella lambasting the government’s failure to enforce deportation orders, and former president François Hollande calling for swifter action. France currently enforces only a fraction of its deportation orders, compared to the European average.
As outrage grows, the tragic case has become a rallying cry for more stringent immigration controls, with demands for urgent reform echoing across the political spectrum.
