Accident, reconstructed memory: the defense against the drama of Lorenzo, paralyzed at 19 after a brawl near Montpellier

Prison sentences were required on Friday by the prosecutor before the criminal court of Hérault, against the two defendants judged for participating in the violence that caused his terrible injuries. The verdict is expected on Monday, April 13th.

“I feel like Lorenzo’s word is sacred, and that Lucas is being punished for daring to say he didn’t do anything,” said Lucas Barreto’s lawyer, Maryse Pechevis, who pleaded for the acquittal of the young man accused of hitting the 19-year-old boy on the ground, contributing to his paralysis.

While the boy is adamant that two opponents attacked him, Pechevis is convinced that his memories are distorted. She argues that based on the violence of the impact he suffered, the coma, the heavy medications taken for weeks, and the family account of what happened that evening, as shared by his mother in the media, the memories are reconstructed.

“I’m not saying he lied, but he was told so many times that it happened that way! I maintain that we are dealing with a reconstructed memory,” the lawyer stated.

The defense attorney, Sandro Assorin, pointed out that the forensic experts did not find any evidence on Lorenzo’s body of the blows he claims to have received. “The body does not lie, the body does not forget, the body is the only witness who has not changed his version,” Assorin emphasized.

His friend claimed to be in danger from the Péroliens, as stated by Bernard Beral, the defense attorney for Sebastien Plo. While not contesting the facts, Plo admitted to driving at Lorenzo as soon as he arrived at the Lattes parking lot, where he was called for help by his friend Brice, who was claimed to be in danger from the Péroliens.

Without intending to offend the victims, the defendant claimed it was an accident, even though some described a violent attack where he was knocked unconscious.

The public prosecutor, Jean-Christophe Tixier, requested five years in prison for Sebastien Plo, who currently manages a car sales company in Nîmes.

The prosecutor denounced “a tragedy that is a combination of foolishness, wickedness, and cowardice.” He did not believe Lucas Barreto’s denials that he went down to help Lorenzo and keep his tongue from choking him.

According to the prosecutor, the testimonies against the two men corroborate Lorenzo’s account and cannot be disputed. He argued that these testimonies were given before Lorenzo emerged from the coma, with no possibility of collusion.

For the other young people who fought that evening, the prosecutor requested sentences ranging from three months of probation to one year of house arrest with an electronic bracelet.

At the end of the morning session, when representing the civil party, Me Muzi recalled the family’s shock caused by the tragedy suffered by Lorenzo. “A real earthquake that transforms harmony into chaos. Six years later, they remain buried under the rubble. For Lorenzo, the suffering is immeasurable. It is the end of his youth and his life. The harm is done, and there will be no adequate compensation.”

“This case is just a torrent of tears and shattered lives. Despite multiple attempts during the investigation to portray Lorenzo and his friends as liars, the defendants disappointed the civil parties with the poverty of their self-examination,” Me Muzi added.

In contrast, the lawyer noted the incredible distance taken by the young man, who became paralyzed at 19, saying, “Lorenzo would have every reason to be filled with hatred, and yet he has decided to surpass the darkness of his story to find meaning.” The verdict is expected on Monday, April 13th.