Stopped From Molesting Minors, Sudanese Refugee Came Back Armed and Killed Three

A Sudanese refugee who was prevented from molesting women in France is accused of returning an hour later armed with a knife and carrying out a deadly rampage that left three young men dead and several others injured.

The trial of 35-year-old Al Khawad Al Zine Sulaymane opens this Friday before the Maine-et-Loire Assize Court, where he faces life imprisonment.

The violence unfolded in the early hours of July 2022 on the Cœur de Maine esplanade in Angers. According to Le Parisien, witnesses say Sulaymane, who had been drinking heavily, first drew attention for his aggressive behavior toward women — tearing off one girl’s shirt and insulting another.

When rugby players Atama and Manuolito stepped in to defend the women, he was knocked down in a brief scuffle and led away. Witnesses later recalled hearing him threaten to return.

About an hour later, he did, with a knife hidden under his shirt. Three young men were fatally stabbed: 16-year-old Ismaël, who had tried to shield a girl; 18-year-old Manuolito, stabbed in the throat; and 20-year-old Atama, struck in the heart. Several others were seriously injured during the rampage.

Survivors described the attacker as calm and determined. One victim, who escaped with injuries to his hand and thigh, told investigators: “He knew how to handle a knife. He didn’t hesitate; he really wanted to kill us.”

Prosecutors say the sequence of events demonstrates clear homicidal intent, though the defendant insists he remembers nothing of the night because of alcohol. Questioned by the judge, he admitted it was possible he committed the killings, saying: “With alcohol, anything is possible — you can kill people, commit suicide, or have an accident.”

The accused arrived in France back in 2016 and was granted refugee status and later a residence permit. He has since had his asylum revoked. His personal history, recounted to investigators, includes alleged childhood abuse in Sudan, imprisonment and torture, and traumatic experiences during migration through Egypt and Libya.

Psychiatric experts diagnosed him with severe post-traumatic stress disorder and said alcohol exacerbated his condition, but stopped short of declaring him legally insane and therefore not criminally responsible for the alleged crimes.

In addition to three counts of aggravated murder, he is charged with three counts of attempted murder and two sexual assaults, one on a 15-year-old girl.

Jurors will be asked to decide whether his claimed amnesia and psychiatric disorders mitigate his responsibility.

The verdict is expected on Oct. 10.