Trial of the “little martyr of the A10”: the parents tried in Blois almost 40 years after the events
Checked on
Published on
- The “martyre de l’A10” trial opened on 2 November before the Blois assize court.
- The victim is a little girl found in 1987 beside the motorway; her parents are on trial.
- The length of the trial differs between outlets and the date of the verdict is not known.
In this article
The trial has opened
According to franceinfo, the trial known as that of the “martyre de l’A10” opened on Monday 2 November. The victim is Inass Touloub, a little girl found dead in 1987 beside the A10 motorway. Her parents are tried for acts of torture and barbarity resulting in death without intent to kill, and for complicity in those acts, before the Loir-et-Cher assize court in Blois.
The facts so far
According to the reports, the girl’s body was found in August 1987 beside the A10, near Suèvres. Long unidentified, she remained one of France’s most troubling cold cases. According to several outlets, advances in DNA identification made it possible in 2018 to trace the parents, and the Court of Cassation opened the way to their trial in September 2024. According to Sud Radio, the mother, 72, is tried for torture and acts of barbarity resulting in death, and the father, 74, for complicity.
Divergences and points not verified
The length of the trial could not be confirmed: some outlets mention 2 to 18 November, others 9 to 27 November. The time elapsed is also presented as 39 years in some franceinfo content and 40 years in other pieces. The date of the verdict is not known. The trial has only just begun: guilt or innocence will be established only at the end of the proceedings.
Learn the grammar
French grammar
Learn sentence patterns and usage from the article’s own sentences.
01The present indicative
est / sont + attribute (noun, adjective, prepositional phrase)
La victime est Inass Touloub, une petite fille retrouvée morte en 1987 au bord de l’autoroute A10.Key pointsÊtre in the present is est for a singular subject and sont for a plural one. It describes nature, state or place (“is”, “is located”). If what follows (the attribute) is a noun, adjective or prepositional phrase, it is not a passive. If a past participle follows, it is a passive (est annoncé). Headlines and summaries often use the present to describe the current situation.
02The passé composé
present of avoir + past participle
Selon plusieurs médias, les progrès de l’identification par l’ADN ont permis, en 2018, de remonter jusqu’aux parents, et la Cour de cassation a ouvert en septembre 2024 la voie à leur procès.Key pointsThe passé composé is the most common past tense, used for “did” and “has done” — actions completed in the past. It is formed with the auxiliary avoir (a / ont…) in the present + a past participle. Past participles of -er verbs end in -é (annoncer → annoncé); learn the irregular ones (faire → fait, prendre → pris, voir → vu). In the negative, ne … pas wraps the auxiliary (n’a pas annoncé). In the news it reports facts that have already happened, such as “announced” or “voted”.
03The passé composé of pronominal verbs
se + present of être + past participle
Le procès des parents de la fillette retrouvée morte au bord de l’A10 s’est ouvert à Blois.Key pointsThe passé composé of a pronominal verb (se + verb) always uses être as auxiliary (il s’est diffusé / elles se sont réunies). Se changes with the subject: me, te, se, nous, vous. The past participle usually agrees with the subject in gender and number.
04The passive voice in the present
être (est / sont) + past participle (+ par / de)
Ce qui est établi, et les points sur lesquels les sources divergent.Key pointsThe passive means “is done” or “is being done”. It is formed with être + past participle, which agrees with the subject in gender and number (la mesure est adoptée / les mesures sont adoptées). The agent is introduced by par (or de). In the news it is common when the event, rather than the actor, is the focus (est prévu / est annoncé / est connu).
05The passive in the passé composé
a / ont été + past participle
D’après les reportages, le corps de la fillette a été découvert en août 1987 au bord de l’A10, près de Suèvres.Key pointsThe past passive means “was done”. Its form is present of avoir + été (past participle of être) + past participle. Été does not change, but the last participle agrees with the subject in gender and number (la loi a été votée / les textes ont été votés). It is frequent in news reporting results such as votes, decisions and announcements.
06Negation and its scope
ne / n’ … pas · ne … plus
La durée du procès n’a pas pu être confirmée : certains médias évoquent du 2 au 18 novembre, d’autres du 9 au 27 novembre.Key pointsNormally ne and pas wrap the verb. Before a vowel, ne becomes n’. Check which part of the sentence the negation covers. Ne … plus means “no longer”.
07Citing a source with selon
selon + noun / organisation
Selon franceinfo, le procès dit de la « martyre de l’A10 » s’est ouvert le lundi 2 novembre.Key pointsSelon means “according to”. Put a person or organisation after it as the source. It separates facts the writer checked directly from what another body or report said. Citing a source does not turn a forecast into an accomplished fact.
08Purpose with pour
pour + infinitive
Selon Sud Radio, la mère, 72 ans, est jugée pour torture et actes de barbarie ayant entraîné la mort, et le père, 74 ans, pour complicité.Key pointsThis is the purpose, “in order to…”. Put the base form of a verb after pour. The purpose stated here is separate from whether the effect was actually achieved.
09The subject relative pronoun qui
noun + qui + verb
Ce qui est établi, et les points sur lesquels les sources divergent.Key pointsQui continues a description of the person or thing just mentioned (“the one that does…”). Because qui is itself the subject of the next verb, do not repeat the subject. The verb agrees with the noun qui refers to.
10Delimiting an interval
de … à … / du … au …
La durée du procès n’a pas pu être confirmée : certains médias évoquent du 2 au 18 novembre, d’autres du 9 au 27 novembre.Key pointsDe…à… shows the start and end, “from … to …”, and is also used for changes in figures. With dates, de + le becomes du and à + le becomes au, giving forms like du 13 au 15. Check whether the interval concerns dates, times or amounts.
Japanese grammar
Understand the structure and usage from the text.
01Citing a source: によると
noun + によると
franceinfoによると、「A10号線の殉難者（martyre de l’A10）」と呼ばれる事件の裁判が、11月2日（月）に始まりました。Key pointsAs in “LCPによると”, it shows where the information comes from. What that source reported follows. It is used differently from “私にとって”, which gives one’s own opinion.
02The polite past ました
verb stem (連用形) + ました
1987年に高速道路A10沿いで見つかった幼い女の子の事件で、両親を裁く裁判がブロワの重罪院で始まりました。Key pointsIn “発表しました”, ました makes a verb polite past. The negative is “ませんでした”. Read the actual date together with the date and time in the text.
03Quoting with と: content and report
plain-form sentence + と + verbe de parole (報じる, 説明する…)
長いあいだ身元が分からず、フランスで最も謎の多い未解決事件の一つとされてきました。Key pointsと takes the content that is reported or explained. In “改定する方針だと報じました”, “改定する方針だ” is what the report said. Separating the content from who said it and how makes long sentences easier to read.
04Possibility in Japanese: できる・られる
verb potential form / 〜ことができる
審理の期間は、ここでは確認できませんでした。Key pointsできる is the basic verb for ability. The potential form of 受ける is 受けられる. The same られる can also be passive or honorific, so decide from the meaning of the sentence.
05Linking actions with the て-form
verb て-form + next expression
確認できた事実と、報道で食い違う点を分けて整理します。Key pointsThe て-form links actions in a series, in order or as a reason. In “確認して、出発する” the relation is judged from the content. In “〜ている” it can show an action in progress or a continuing state.
06Linking two nouns with の
noun A + の + noun B
被害者は、1987年に高速道路A10のそばで亡くなって見つかった幼い女の子、イナス・トゥルーブ（Inass Touloub）さんです。Key pointsA explains noun B that follows. It is not only possession: the relation can be belonging, target, content and more. In “政府の案” and “年金の税控除”, read the relation from the context.