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Court Orders Second Psychiatric Assessment After First Finds Mosque Murderer Irresponsible

Authorities have commissioned a second joint psychiatric expertise after finding that Olivier Hadzovic’s schizophrenia abolished his discernment in the April mosque stabbing.

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Le cercueil d'Aboubakar Cisse exposé à la Grande Mosquée de Paris, le 5 mai 2025

Overview

  • A first psychiatric expertise concluded that Olivier Hadzovic’s acute and chronic schizophrenia abolished his discernment during the April 25 murder of Aboubakar Cissé in La Grand-Combe, rendering him legally irresponsible.
  • The examining magistrate has mandated a second joint expertise to reconcile differing psychiatric opinions and inform the court’s decision on criminal responsibility.
  • Hadžović remains detained in a specialized psychiatric unit following his May 9 indictment for assassination aggravated by religion.
  • Under French law, abolition of discernment at the time of an offense precludes criminal responsibility, making psychiatric evaluations decisive for the trial.
  • The killing has reignited debate over islamophobic violence and whether the case should be classified as a hate crime or a terrorist act.