Tried for the murder of 9-year-old Raïssa, her grandmother was sentenced yesterday to life imprisonment with hard labor. A teenager received a ten-year prison sentence.
The trial for the murder of Raïssa, whose body was found on May 10, 2025, in a sewage pit in Antohomadinika, near 67 Ha, took place yesterday in courtroom No. 4 of the Anosy courthouse. The hearing lasted from 1:30 PM to 5:30 PM, attended by the victim’s parents, civil parties, and numerous family members. The accused were all relatives of the girl, including her paternal grandmother and the grandmother’s sister.
At the end of the trial, Raïssa’s grandmother was sentenced to life imprisonment with hard labor. A teenager, also her grandson, was sentenced to ten years in prison. The other defendants were acquitted due to lack of evidence.
The case was examined by the ordinary criminal court. Seven defendants appeared. Raïssa’s grandmother and her sister were in pre-trial detention, as were two teenagers. The other three individuals were under judicial supervision.
The defendants were called to the stand one by one. The clerk read the case files before the questioning and presentation of defense arguments. Raïssa’s grandmother was extensively questioned by judges, assessors, the public prosecutor, and lawyers. The hearing concerning the two minors was held behind closed doors.
The debates focused on two men, a father and his son, who had been staying at the grandmother’s house for several days before the murder. They reportedly disappeared the day after the girl’s body was discovered, wrapped in a bag and thrown into a sewage pit. The grandmother was questioned at length about their identity and the reasons for their presence. She provided few explanations, claiming she hosted them “out of naivety, without really knowing their origins and without imagining they could commit such a reprehensible act.”
Raïssa’s parents were also questioned about why they implicated the accused. The mother mentioned evidence discovered, including blood splatters, as well as the grandmother’s silence regarding the presence of the two men. When asked about damages, she replied: “That will not bring our child back to life. We are not asking for compensation. We ask that the law be applied to those who killed her and their accomplices.”
After the verdict, the mother stated: “You have all heard the decision. We entrusted the case to justice, and this is the judgment that has been rendered.”
Captured & Published at: 2026-11-04 06:09:10 (Madagascar Local Time EAT)
Original Source: https://www.lexpress.mg/2026/11/assassinat-la-grand-mere-de-raissa.html