The CRIF umbrella group of French Jewish communities has escalated its criticism of authorities’ handling of the slaying of a Jewish woman by her Muslim neighbour, calling it a cover-up.
CRIF, France’s EJC national affiliate, made the accusation in a short and poignant statement on Wednesday containing four loaded questions concerning the April 4 killing of Sarah Halimi in Paris.
“The murder of Sarah Halimi was 85 days ago already and the investigation is not advancing. Why this silence? Why this omerta?” read the statement. “What is being hidden? Why this denial of antisemitism?”
Prior to this week, CRIF had refrained from openly faulting the handling of the Halimi investigation, saying it was awaiting the conclusion of the police probe.
But that changed on Monday, when CRIF President Francis Kalifat wrote in an op-ed published by Le Figaro that “there is evidence that this is a textbook case of an antisemitic murder but it is being covered up by an ‘omerta’ and this heinous crime has not been recognised for what it is.”
Halimi, he added, “was butchered for the sole and only reason that she was Jewish.”
Kalifat vowed to “never relent” and continue to pressure authorities “until the truth comes to light about this sordid murder.”
Halimi, a physician and kindergarten teacher in her 60s, was beaten savagely by Kobili Traore, 27, and then thrown to her death from a window of her third-story apartment.
Traore, whom neighbours testified shouted during the attack “Allah hu akbar,” Arabic for “Allah is the greatest,” was placed at a psychiatric institution as per his temporary insanity defence though he has no history of mental illness. Halimi’s daughter testified that he had called the daughter a “dirty Jew” two years ago.
A draft indictment drawn up against Traore by the public prosecutor’s office of Paris contained no mention of a hate crime, alleging only voluntary manslaughter with no aggravating circumstances.
