Woman files lawsuit against the state for alleged grave misconduct, thirty-five years after her father's murder, with Francis Heaulme standing trial.

Frustrated Over Justice Delay, Woman Sues French State

In a bold move, Christine Clement, whose father, a 59-year-old farm machinery repairman, met a grisly end in Béddarrides, Vaucluse, on August 8, 1989, has turned to legal action against the State. Clement's complaint, filed on Tuesday, May 6, alleges extensive errors committed during the initial investigation, including prolonged inactivity and the loss of crucial evidence.

The judicial court has acknowledged receipt of Clement's complaint, and a hearing to set the case in motion has been scheduled for February 2, 2026. This case once involved the notorious serial killer Francis Heaulme, who was initially suspected but ultimately benefits from a non-prosecution decision in 2002.

Fast-forward over two decades, the justice system revisited the cold case due to new evidence, leading to Heaulme's charge again in 2023 and currently serving life imprisonment for 11 murders. This unsolved case was shifted to the national pole of unsolved serial and non-serial crimes in Nanterre, Hauts-de-Seine, in April 2024.

"Denial of Justice"

Heaulme was first indicted in the case in April 1992 following his custody, only to confess to Clement's father's murder before retracting, leaving ambiguous statements behind. The case was then transferred to Reims, where multiple proceedings against Heaulme were underway. However, the investigation seemed to stall, according to Christine Clement's lawyers, Didier Seban and Marine Allali, persisting in a state of neglect until a non-prosecution order was rendered on December 18, 2002.

Clement's complaint alleges that during this investigation, almost all the seals of the case were lost, with a total of 36 seals missing. The prosecutor's office in Avignon claims to have sent these seals to Reims in 1993 but could not find them in 2000. The only evidence found was the blood group card of Clement's father and a piece of paper containing a telephone number.

"Justice must now act with haste," Clement's lawyers insist. They wish this lawsuit to acknowledge the significant oversights and lack of justice experienced by Clement. As they explain to our website, it's an aberration for a case involving a serial killer to be overlooked for seven years, then forgotten by the justice system, forcing the civil party to fight tirelessly to have it reopened.

Desiring a swift resolution to the long-standing injustice, Christine Clement's legal team is urging the court to re-examine the case in light of the missing seals and ambiguous statements.
In a rather peculiar response to the lawsuit, the French legal system faces criticism for its suspected negligence of war-and-conflicts and crime-and-justice matters, as exemplified by the Clement case.
If successful, this lawsuit could set a historic precedent, retracting the non-prosecution decision made in 2002 and potentially leading to further criminal charges against Francis Heaulme.
General news outlets are closely following the Clement lawsuit, recognizing its potential impact on political agendas and the public's confidence in the law enforcement system.
The Nanterre pole, specifically responsible for unsolved serial and non-serial crimes, now finds itself in the spotlight of ongoing war-and-conflicts and political debates, as the Clement case shines a light on potential systemic issues within the French justice system.