A hunting accident that occurred on September 30, 2019, in Rolampont, resulted in the death of an 83-year-old man. The responsibility of one of his hunting comrades was engaged.
“Small mistake, big consequences, that’s the chase!” “ These were the words of Me Tribolet on behalf of the insurance company of the Federation of Hunters of Haute-Marne. Yes, using a weapon with a range of several thousand meters presents an obvious danger. A limited danger when the multiple rules in force are respected. A defense lawyer will have thus made a point of recalling that the number of deaths within the framework of a hunting practice is lower than that observed within the framework of the practice of high mountain sports.
The number of fatal hunting accidents has fallen by 71% in the space of 20 years. Deaths are nonetheless to be deplored. Every year. Eleven in 2020. Seven in 2019. Including one Haut-Marnais.
The file presented this week before the criminal court refers to a dramatic organized hunting party on September 30, 2019, in a space of a limited area, barely larger than a ” soccer field “. Nine hunters are present. Eight are posted. The ninth acts as a tracker. The latter’s attention is alerted by noises emanating from a thick bush. “A wild boar was fighting with my dogs, one of them was bleeding, I kicked the bush, I shot to protect my dog”, will have declared Boris G, this week, at the bar of the criminal court. This inhabitant of Rolampont is being prosecuted for manslaughter. The tracker fired twice with a combi rifle at a moving boar. The shooter was initially facing the victim, a fellow hunter. Aged 83, this man was struck down by a bullet that hit him in the groin. His death will come after “Eighteen days of agony”.
Different faults
The investigations carried out by gendarmes and officials from the French Biodiversity Office (OFB) will have revealed a direct fire, “Linear”. A shot “Non-fictitious”, that is to say not directed towards the ground. The occurrence of a ricochet seems ruled out. Boris G would have also made a shot at a moving animal. So many faults in the eyes of the prosecution. “Monsieur was not allowed to shoot, the life of Monsieur’s dogs was obviously worth more than the life of a man.” (…) Monsieur affirms that he was facing the victim with his back, the bullets would therefore have turned around ”thundered Mr. Gambini on behalf of a bereaved family.
Cited as a witness, the representative of the OFB referred to a situation regularly observed in the context of hunting accidents. “Tracking shooting is permitted except when the animal is in motion. This rule prevents the shooter from becoming disoriented when following the animal. (…) Hunting is not an exact science, a body can move, a weapon can move, we can in particular think of the famous stroke of the finger ”. Obsessed by the wild boar he heard to kill, hostage of a ” tunnel effect “, Boris G would have turned around without realizing it before opening fire in the direction of the victim.
A version difficult to hear for the accused. “The boar was four or five meters away, I did not turn around, I made firing shots, these are my memories. The height at which we found a warhead in a trunk, I cannot explain it to myself, I have no hypothesis, but I do not understand ”, will have repeated an accused “Mined” by this drama. A man continuing to devote himself to his passion for hunting, according to a testimony brought to the attention of the court by Mr. Gambini. The accused will have conceded having practiced archery. Excluding hunting action. The defendant was targeted, following the tragedy, by a ban on holding and carrying a weapon, as the prosecutor Candar recalled. “For me, the hunt is over”, repeated Boris G.
“Difficult to hear”
“The gentleman’s speech is unheard of, how can we speak of a firing shot when the victim was hit in the groin at a distance of 67 meters? (…) Monsieur has clearly breached a rule of prudence and safety, the ricochet mentioned, it’s impossible! (…) When we have a weapon of war in our hands, we respect certain rules ”, underlined Mr. Gambini.
“Monsieur has changed the angle of the shot, his perception of the environment has changed, it is difficult to hear that the gentleman has made a firing shot”Prosecutor Candar continued before seeking a suspended sentence of two years in prison and a ban on applying for a new hunting license within five years.
“There is no good excuse, we cannot apologize for killing a man. (…) Two opposing truths, the truth of the man and the scientific and technical truth, it is up to you to bring the judicial truth. Ballistic truth is not the queen of evidence, it is not infallible “, tempered Me Charlot on behalf of the accused. The court’s decision will be released on January 18.
T. Bo.
Shooting in stalking zone
Following the investigations carried out by investigators from various services, proceedings were initiated against another hunter present on the day of the tragedy. Jean R’s shot could have endangered one of his hunting comrades. A shot in the direction of the stalking area. “This shooting was not prohibited, it was under my responsibility”, assured the defendant. His lawyer will have used hunting literature in order to dispute the fault attributed to his client, a man for whom also, “hunting is over”. A shooting in the stalking zone would be authorized in the eyes of the defense because of the nature of the soil, the loose soil in the Grand Est. The same shot would be prohibited in areas with rocky soils, soils involving risks of ricochet. An untenable position in the eyes of prosecutor Candar. A fine of 1,000 euros was requested against the accused.
