‘The killer will not have my hatred’

Slain French policeman’s partner pays tribute in remembrance ceremony

April 25, 2017 10:35 pm | Updated 10:35 pm IST - Paris

In honour:  French presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron (right) with Etienne Cardiles, the partner of Xavier Jugele, the policeman killed by a jihadist last week.

In honour: French presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron (right) with Etienne Cardiles, the partner of Xavier Jugele, the policeman killed by a jihadist last week.

The companion of the French policeman killed by a jihadist in Paris said on Tuesday that he felt “no hatred”, in a moving eulogy at a remembrance ceremony led by President Francois Hollande. Xavier Jugele (37) was shot dead on Thursday while on duty on the famous Champs Elysees avenue, three days before the first round of France’s presidential election.

The Islamic State (IS) claimed the killing by 39-year-old Karim Cheurfi, who was shot dead by police in a gun battle. Two other officers were injured in the attack.

Addressing hundreds of mourners at a ceremony at Paris police headquarters, Jugele’s partner Etienne Cardiles spoke of his “extreme pain” at the death of the officer, who had campaigned for gay rights within the police force. “This pain makes me feel closer to your comrades who suffer in silence like you and me,” he said in a trembling voice, describing Jugele as a cinema and theatre buff who lived “a life of joy and huge smiles”.

Echoing the words of the husband of one of the victims of the November 2015 Paris attacks, Mr. Cardiles said the killer would “not have my hatred”. “I have no hatred, Xavier, because it is not like you and does not fit with what made your heart beat nor what made you a guardian of the peace,” he said. Jugele was the fifth policeman slain by jihadists in attacks that have claimed more than 230 lives across France since January 2015. Mr. Hollande posthumously made him a knight of the Legion d’Honneur, one of France’s highest honours.

Mr. Hollande appealed to the country’s next leader to show “constancy, perseverance and coherence in the fight [against extremists], rather than escalation and divisiveness”. Far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen and her pro-EU centrist rival Emmanuel Macron both attended the ceremony for Jugele.

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.