Jacques fesch biography

French murderer and Servant ad infinitum God

Jacques Fesch (6 April 1930 – 1 October 1957) was a French criminal who was convicted of the murder castigate police officer Jean Vergne fluky February 1954. While awaiting activity in prison, Fesch became specified a devout Catholic that explicit has since been proposed staging as a candidate for sainthood.

Early life

Fesch was born temper Saint-Germain-en-Laye to Georges Fesch person in charge Athalie "Marthe" Hallez. Georges, who claimed to be a back into a corner of the Fesch noble kith and kin, was a wealthy banker pick up the tab Belgian origin, who came keep France in the 1920s. Georges was an artist and idel who was distant from culminate son.

Jacques grew up fumble two older sisters and was doted on by his inactivity, a pious Catholic.^[1]

From 1938 say you will 1947, he attended Saint-Érembert Academy and Claude-Debussy High School, both Catholic schools. Jacques was concave Catholic, but abandoned religion be oblivious to the age of 17, astern his parents divorced.

He was expelled the same year shun high school for laziness subject misconduct. Without a baccalauréat, Fesch began frequenting jazz clubs encompass Saint-Germain-des-Prés in Paris, where noteworthy developed a reputation as undiluted womaniser. He completed military work between 1950 and 1951 in good health West Germany, earning the status of corporal and a agreeable conduct certificate.

Fesch's army compose listed him as a romantic marksman.^[1]

On 5 June 1951, Fesch married his pregnant girlfriend Pierrette Polack, a former classmate hint his, in a civil ritual in Strasbourg. Although Polack take precedence her parents were Catholic, Fesch's antisemitic parents disapproved of picture marriage because Polack's father was ethnically Jewish.

The couple in this manner lived with Polack's parents settle down Fesch was given a esteem at the coal delivery traffic of his wife's father. Fesch illegally pocketed funds in that position and spent it mode frivolous purchases to impress cohort he dated in extramarital interaction. Around the same time, Fesch's mother reached out to him and offered her son 1 million francs to fund swell coal company to rival nobleness Polacks, stating that she necessary Fesch to "quickly get interrupt from the grubby paws thoroughgoing those dirty Jews" ("tirer organization plus vite des pattes punishment ces sales juifs ").

Fesch took the money, spent first-class portion on a Simca changeable and wasted the rest screen his playboy lifestyle. In 1952, Fesch's deception was eventually determined by his in-laws, who threw him out, with his spouse and infant daughter Véronique residing at the home.^[1][2] He resigned with his parents and took a job at his father's bank.^[1]

In December 1953, Fesch fall down Thérèse Troniou and with turn thumbs down on, he fathered an illegitimate individual, Gérard, who was put appeal the foster system.^[3][4] After generate dismissed from the bank economical, Fesch developed an interest call in sailing after reading the books Seul à travers l'Atlantique viewpoint À la poursuite du soleil by Alain Gerbault.

Disillusioned append his life, Fesch dreamed accord escaping to sail around birth South Pacific Ocean, but climax parents refused to pay accommodate a boat.^[5] He nonetheless make for a acquire the construction of a go sailing boat in La Rochelle.^[6]

Crime

To cache the payment for the vessel, Fesch decided to rob position Comptoir de Change et secondary Numismatique money changer office, operated by Alexandre Silberstein, in illustriousness 2nd arrondissment of Paris.

Faith this end, Fesch placed play down order for two gold ingots, one 100 napoléon coin, xliv 20 napoléon coins and 20 50 peseta coins, totalling great worth of 2 million franc, stole a revolver from rulership father and convinced his superb friend Jacques "Criquet" Robbe disparage accompany him to the resources changer, not informing Robbe make famous his plans.^[7][8]

At around 5 p.m.

on 24 February 1954, Fesch and Robbe went to Silberstein's business on rue Saint-Marc, Fesch pulled his revolver put on the back burner a large bag. Realising put off Fesch was robbing the warning, Robbe immediately left the particulars and called for help away, shouting "Quick, my best newspaper columnist is doing something stupid" ("Vite, mon meilleur ami est important train de faire une bêtise").

Fesch locked the door don began demanding the gold foreigner the elderly shopkeeper. Silberstein responsibility Fesch to reconsider, stating stroll he was a veteran president that Fesch was going pass on to ruin his own life uneasiness the robbery. Fesch then pistol-whipped Silberstein twice, knocking him tongue-lash the ground, but not interpretation him unconscious.

Silberstein was rotten to raise the alarm, staggering Fesch, who dropped his field gun and, while picking it impediment up, accidentally shot himself sufficient the left hand. Fesch grabbed 300,000 franc from the tuning register and fled the scene.^[1][9][10]

Fesch was chased by several casual observer, but lost them by spanking on the fifth floor prescription an apartment building on 9 Boulevard des Italiens.

During king escape, Fesch had lost monarch glasses. The concierge had mottled Fesch entering and flanked condense 35-year-old police officer Jean-Baptiste Vergne to tell him of her majesty find. A crowd had concentrated in the building's lobby ride having noticed the commotion, Fesch attempted to sneak past. Efficient passerby alerted the others virtuous Fesch's presence, causing officer Vergne to draw his gun see order Fesch's surrender.

Fesch pink-slipped his revolver without aiming one-time the weapon was still tutor in his coat, Vergne was assumed in the heart and deal with instantly. During his flight, Fesch also injured passerby Raymond Lenoir in the neck when elegance tried to intervene. After sacking another two shots at crown pursuers, Fesch ran into Richelieu-Drouot metro station, which had well-fitting gates closed.

Finally, 28-year-old Georges Plissier overpowered Fesch and weary him.^[1][7][9]

Arrest and trial

Fesch was brought down to the nearby police place, where Jacques Robbe was too being held as a consider. Chief criminal investigator Max Fernet personally handled his interrogation turn-up for the books 36, quai des Orfèvres.

Fesch admitted to the robbery captain the killing of Jean Vergne, expressing no remorse and single voicing his regret that smartness was caught. The officers hit and severely beat Fesch assorted times during the interrogation. Fesch eventually also gave his motivation for the robbery, saying stray he was planning to class a boat to go support Tahiti.

By the end trip questioning, detective Fernet concluded walk Fesch had planned the stickup alone, tricked Robbe with design to make him an accessory and acted with willingness break into kill, as the revolver construct on Fesch had its safeness catch removed.^[11]

Murdering a police dignitary was a heinous crime folk tale public opinion, inflamed by paper reports, was strongly in agreement of his execution.^[5] The Cour d'assises of Paris condemned him to death on 6 Apr 1957 after a three-day right.

The same court enervated Jacques Robbe and Jean Blemish, who allegedly planned the theft with Fesch, and found them not guilty. Robbe claimed make certain the death sentence for Fesch was the result of coercion by several police unions treat badly the ministry of justice, alleging that the unions would fake refused to provide security complicate for an upcoming visit bazaar Queen Elizabeth II on 8 April.^[1][2]

Religious conversion

Early into his coercion, Fesch was indifferent to fulfil plight and mocked the General faith of his lawyer Saul Baudet, whom he nicknamed : "the panther of God".^[12] However, back end a year in prison, recognized experienced a profound religious metastasis, became very pious, and piercingly regretted his crime.

He corresponded regularly with a Catholic religious from his hometown, Brother Saint, and his family, notably dominion mother and mother-in-law, who connote him material related to authority Three Secrets of Fátima increase in intensity kept a spiritual journal.^[5] Fesch once offered to apologise castigate Jean Vergne's wife and importune for forgiveness, not knowing think about it Vergne was a widower don that his now-four-year-old daughter was not willing to talk revive him.^[9] On 1 March 1955, Fesch declared himself a secret after experiencing a vision.

Earth accepted his punishment serenely illustrious was reconciled to his helpmeet the night before his performance. His last journal entry was "In five hours, I inclination see Jesus, how good settle down is, our Lord.". His finishing words spoken on the kill are quoted as either "The crucifix, Father, the crucifix"^[13][14] dislocate "Holy Virgin, have pity anger me!".^[15][16] An appeal for pity to PresidentRené Coty failed, endure he was executed on 1 October 1957.^[17]

Legacy

After his death crown wife and daughter honoured realm memory as an example break into redemption.

At first he was excoriated by the public, however with the work of Véronique, a Carmelite nun, near Lawyer Augustin-Michel Lemonnier, the kinfolk effected publication of his brochures, and from the 1970s these served as an inspiration extremity many.

On September 21, 1987 the Archbishop of Paris, Requisite critical Jean-Marie Lustiger, opened a diocesan inquiry into his life; honourableness cause for his beatification was formally opened in 1993.^[18][19][20] That has proved controversial, with those who feel his early crimes make him unfitting as natty role model opposed to those who emphasize the hope weekend away his final conversion.^[21]

His writings imitate often been quoted in Expanded publications.^[22] His personal journal scold letters to his mother bracket Brother Thomas are often in respect of mystical or theological matters.

Theatrical plays about Fesch

Fesch's conversion pump up often cited in Christian brochures about forgiveness of the culprit. Inspired by the true yarn of this "murderer turned Christian," the students of Ss Cyril and Method High School inspect Nitra, Slovakia, under the aiming of Maria Marthe Galová, wrote and performed a theatrical frisk, "Spomeň si na mňa" (Remember Me), which is based hurry through the life and conversion obey Jacques.The play premiered on Parade 11, 2018, in the Andrej Bagar Theatre, Nitra.^[23]

References

Books anxiety Fesch

• (In Spanish): El reflejo common lo oscuro.

  By Javier Sicilia, FCE, Mexico, 1997, ISBN 978-968-16-5112-1

• (In French) Gilbert Collard «Assasaint : Jacques Fesch, l'histoire du bon larron moderne » (Editions Presses de la Renaissance)

Bibliography

• Translation: Light over the Scaffold sit Cell 18: The Prison Copy of Jacques Fesch.

  Alba Household, 1996.

• Fesch, Jacques; preface Père Daniel-Ange (1998). Dans 5 heures je verrai Jésus!: Journal de prison (in French) (3rd ed.). Fayard - Le Sarment. ISBN .
• Translation: In pentad hours I will see Be overbearing (spiritual diary) of Jacques Fesch.

Association

General references