Man arrested in Switzerland over death of French student
The 22-year old suspect had been previously convicted of rape and was subject an order to leave France
French authorities will launch an extradition request for the suspect, who was arrested by Swiss police
Michael Derrer Fuchs/Shutterstock
Swiss police arrested a 22-year old man yesterday (September 24) in connection with the death of a teenager whose body was found partially buried in woods in Paris.
Read more: Body of missing student found buried in Paris wood
The man was arrested in Geneva, and French police have confirmed they will immediately lodge an extradition request.
Police traced the location of the man, named as Taha O, via video surveillance and his mobile phone, which he activated in Annecy and then in Switzerland.
Tracing of the victim's bank card, which was used in Montreuil (Seine-Saint-Denis) after her death, was also used to help catch the suspect.
Suspect previously imprisoned for rape
The man, of Moroccan nationality, was known to the French justice system, and had previously been convicted of rape in 2019.
He committed the offence as a minor (the age of majority in France is 18), but was sentenced and imprisoned in October 2021.
Despite receiving a seven-year sentence, his imprisonment ended in June 2023, but he remained on a sex offenders register.
As part of his release, he was under house arrest and obliged to register his location, which he failed to do so in the days prior to the teenager's death.
This led authorities to place him on a list of missing criminals and suspects (fichier des personnes recherchées) on Thursday, the day before the teenager's murder.
However, he was also subject to an order to leave France (obligation de quitter le territoire français, OQTF) which he did not follow.
Read more: Suspect in murder of Lola, 12: What is a OQTF order to leave France?
The body of the victim, a 19-year old student at Paris-Dauphine university called Philippine, was found after the location of her phone was geo-localised to the Bois de Boulogne.
Her family became aware of her absence on Friday (September 20) after she did not return home from university, as she had planned to do so, and quickly organised efforts to find her.
She was partially found via the help of an app called The Sorority, which alerts nearby users when a woman feels unsafe or is under threat of male violence.
Read more: Death of Paris student: What is ‘The Sorority’ app that sent alert?
