Death of Sarah Halimi finally declared anti-Semitic crime
'The whole Jewish community showed its solidarity' during the case, her brother told i24NEWS
Prosecutors in France on Wednesday finally declared that the murder of Paris woman Sarah Halimi in April was an anti-Semitic hate group, a decision long fought for by her family and Jewish groups in France.
"I am, we are, all the family extremely moved by this event, we were waiting for it, and hoping for it," Halimi's brother William Attal told i24NEWS after hearing the news.
"The whole Jewish community showed its solidarity" during the case, added Attal.
Witnesses testified that Kobili Traore, 27, shouted "Allahu akbar" ("God is great") during the attack in her Paris apartment, while Halimi's daughter said that he had two years ago called her a "dirty Jew."
Initially, prosecutors omitted any mention of hate crime in their indictment against the Muslim man, who had a history of drug abuse.
Leaders of French Jewish communities derided the decision, in a case which has sparked outrage and accusations against police of an anti-Semitic "cover up".
On Wednesday Halimi's lawyer told i24NEWS the concession "is a great satisfaction."
In July, the family's legal team filed a complaint against police for allegedly not entering Halimi's apartment before backup arrived, despite screams emanating from the house.