Man Who Stabbed Military Doctor in Front of His Daughter, Killing Alban Gervaise, Found Criminally Not Responsible and Allowed Home on Evenings and Weekends

In June 2025, the investigating chamber of the Aix-en-Provence Court of Appeal declared Mohamed L., the man who killed Alban Gervaise, criminally not responsible for his actions and upheld his psychiatric detention. According to information reported by Le Figaro, that full-time involuntary hospitalization is expected to end in the coming days, after psychiatrists decided to change his treatment and the Bouches-du-Rhône prefecture approved the move.

The new arrangement would place Mohamed L. under a lighter treatment regime, with day hospital care from Monday to Friday and a return to his parents’ home in Marignane, Bouches-du-Rhône, in the evenings and on weekends. He would remain under compulsory medical treatment and be required to follow the prescribed therapy. Authorities say the decision follows a legal procedure based on a request from the treating psychiatrist, a favorable opinion from the medical team, and an additional psychiatric expert assessment recommending this form of care.

The case dates back to May 2022, when Alban Gervaise, a 40-year-old military doctor, was attacked while driving to pick up his children from a Catholic school in Marseille. The assault took place in front of his 20-month-old daughter, who was strapped into a car seat in the back of the vehicle. Mohamed L. continued the attack outside the car and stabbed Gervaise about ten times. The victim was later admitted to intensive care but died after 17 days.

The transition to outpatient treatment remains tightly supervised. If Mohamed L. fails to respect the obligation to receive care, the prefect can order him back into involuntary hospitalization. The judicial restrictions imposed by the court also remain in force, including a ban on contacting the victim’s family and a prohibition on carrying weapons. Any breach of these conditions could lead to police custody and criminal proceedings, with penalties of up to two years in prison.

The move has caused deep distress among Gervaise’s relatives. His wife, Christelle, said the decision has left her feeling anger, injustice, sadness and fear, especially given the timing of the release from strict hospital confinement. She questioned how long-term supervision would work and what would happen if the accused stopped attending treatment. Her comments reflect broader concerns among the family about the possibility of reoffending and the limits of monitoring after psychiatric care is relaxed.

The prefecture of Bouches-du-Rhône told Le Figaro that it is bound by law to follow the conclusions of medical professionals in such cases and does not have the authority to block a change in treatment once the required psychiatric assessments have been completed.