This celebration was preceded, at 8:30 a.m., at the very time of this tragedy, on October 29, 2020, by the laying of wreaths by the families of the victims, the municipal and prefectural authorities and the elected officials of the nation, at the foot of a sculpture placed on the forecourt of the basilica.
“Remembering the drama experienced and the three victims means remembering them and carrying them in our prayer for us, who share this faith, but also with an intention of the heart”, explained after the celebration the new bishop. of Nice, Bishop Jean-Philippe Nault.
“The second message is to be there, not only today but also on a daily basis, alongside the people who have gone through this tragedy”, added Bishop Nault, confident that when he arrived in Nice in March he found a city ” deeply touched.”
“It’s true for the parishioners, for the inhabitants of the district, but also of the city, there was a succession of events, on July 14, 2016 (Editor’s note: the attack on the Promenade des Anglais), the storm Alex, dramatic and traumatic, and our mission is to try to accompany and grow, in a little inner peace, to our fair measure, each as we can”, added the prelate.
Located on Avenue Jean-Médecin, the city’s main shopping street, the Notre-Dame de l’Assomption basilica was the scene two years ago of a knife attack by a 22-year-old Tunisian. with the profile of a radicalized Islamist, Brahim Aouissaoui, arrived in Nice two days earlier after passing through Italy.
The three victims were two faithful of the parish, Nadine Devillers, a 60-year-old Niçoise, and Simone Barreto Silva, a 44-year-old Franco-Brazilian mother of three children, as well as the sexton Vincent Loquès, 55, father of two daughters. .
As part of the investigation, entrusted to the National Anti-Terrorist Prosecutor’s Office (PNAT), the man was indicted for “assassinations and attempted assassination in connection with a terrorist enterprise”.
The assailant, seriously injured during his arrest on the day of the events, told the anti-terrorism investigating judges that he no longer remembered his actions that day. He is the only suspect in this case whose investigation is still in progress.
