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2015 Poitiers Jogger Attack: Suspect Indicted and Remanded After DNA Match From Genetic Genealogy

Genetic genealogy using U.S. consumer DNA databases identified relatives under a French cold‑case judge’s request through international judicial cooperation.

Overview

  • The Nanterre cold‑case unit said a 28‑year‑old man, a minor at the time of the crime, was placed under formal investigation for attempted murder alongside rape and was ordered into pre‑trial detention after acknowledging the facts.
  • DNA taken during custody matched the male profile recovered in 2015, confirming the link to the assault on a 25‑year‑old jogger in Poitiers.
  • A commission rogatoire sent in June 2025 led U.S. authorities, including the FBI, to run the unknown profile against genealogy databases, producing familial matches that guided investigators to the suspect.
  • The 2015 attack involved a screwdriver stabbing that perforated a lung, sexual assault, and strangulation, with the victim surviving and raising the alarm.
  • The case intensifies a policy push, as Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin has proposed legislation to authorize magistrates to use genetic genealogy in France.