A 35-year-old man passed away on 23 December following an altercation at a Pétange nightclub. While the investigation into the man's death is ongoing, his family say communication is lacking.
Faïza Aubry-Bouraï was left reeling by the news of her husband's death in December. It was not the police who informed her, however, but her younger brother, a friend of the victim.
35-year-old Jonathan Aubry had attended his work Christmas party on the night of Friday 22 December, moving on to the nightclub after the event concluded. In the early hours of Saturday morning, he became involved in an altercation with a security guard working for the club. Initial reports suggested Aubry fell to the ground during the altercation, sustaining fatal head injuries in the process. The security guard was arrested for involuntary manslaughter following the incident, but was released from pre-trial detention on 29 December, placed under "judicial control".
"I couldn't believe the news," Faïza says. "I was absolutely devastated when my brother told me. He took my face in his hands and said, 'he's dead'. And then I collapsed."
The couple, who married in 2021, had been together for 16 years. Faïza says she knew Jonathan for half her life. "Now it feels like half of me is missing."
Faïza's family are also struggling with the tragedy. Her brother, Yacin Bouräi, says: "I've known Jonathan since I was eight years old. He helped raise me. He was more than my brother-in-law, he was my confidant."
Disappointing process
The victim's family say they are not just grappling with the loss of a loved one, but also feel as though they have to fight for justice and transparency around the circumstances of Jonathan's death. "I'm shocked that we still haven't been contacted by the judicial police, nor has anyone offered us any psychological counselling. This isn't normal," Faïza points out.
The 34-year-old, who works as a clinical psychologist and criminologist in France, says it is absolutely incomprehensible that the victim's family is having to push for more information, and even had to fight in order to view the deceased's body.
The family is also struggling to understand why it is taking the authorities so long to produce the results of the autopsy. The family's lawyer, Maître Vier, says this is partly to do with judicial leave over the Christmas and New Year break, but points out "it is taking longer to obtain the autopsy results than for the suspect to be released from pre-trial detention".
vu lénks no riets: Maître Vier, Faïza Aubry-Bouraï, Maître Winkel
The family say they're horrified at the idea that the alleged perpetrator had been released in time to celebrate New Year's Eve, while they sat at home and mourned the loss of Jonathan. They say they want justice for Jonathan and to ensure such a senseless death could not happen again.
The family's lawyers, Maître Vier and Maître Winkel, say they are waiting for information on the investigation, and have asked the authorities to carry out a reconstruction of events on the premises.
Both family and lawyers have called for "calm", seeking to distance themselves from comments on social media calling for a boycott of the nightclub. They say they have faith in the judicial authorities and the investigation should be allowed to continue. Last month, the nightclub's owner revealed they had received threats via social media and had offered condolences to the victim's family.
No statement from the nightclub
RTL contacted the nightclub through their lawyer, but the establishment has declined to comment until the autopsy results are published with further details.
The public prosecutor's office has also declined to inform the media of new developments in the case, writing that "a full judicial police investigation is underway."
