Mystery solved in identical twins rape case

Image
AFP Aix-en-Provence
Last Updated : Sep 07 2015 | 9:42 PM IST
It was a mystery worthy of crime series CSI: a series of rapes in France tracked back to identical twins with matching DNA, both of them jailed.
But the puzzle was solved today as one of the twins, Yoan Gomis, confessed in court to the sexual assaults after some victims identified him through the fact that he is partially deaf and stutters.
After a series of three rapes, three attempted rapes and a sexual assault in the southern city of Marseille between September 2012 and February 2013, police discovered matching DNA in five of the cases.
It was traced back to Yoan and Elvin Gomis, 26, who lived together, shared clothes, a car, telephones and even had a joint Facebook account.
The brothers were so close that they both firmly denied any role in the assaults and were both jailed.
However, a painstaking investigation allowed police to narrow down who was the culprit.
In some cases Elvin had a solid alibi, and some victims indicated a peculiarity about the way their attacker spoke, including a "stutter" that corresponded to Yoan's partial deafness.
After 10 months of detention Elvin was released and the case against him dropped.
"I admit all the facts," Yoan said in a court in the city of Aix-en-Provence, adding he was sorry for having lied for so long and that he did not understand why he had attacked the women.
Vanessa Cerda, Yoan's lawyer, said that the twins' relationship had not suffered even though Elvin spent 10 months in prison for his brother.
"They have never mentioned it. (Elvin) absolutely does not hold it against him. It is all part of the mystery of twins.
*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Sep 07 2015 | 9:42 PM IST

Next Story