Cécile Bloch was an 11-year-old French girl from the 19th arrondissement of

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

, who was

murder Murder is the unlawful killing of another human without justification (jurisprudence), justification or valid excuse (legal), excuse committed with the necessary Intention (criminal law), intention as defined by the law in a specific jurisd ...

ed by police officer

François Vérove François Vérove (; 22 January 1962 – 29 September 2021), also known as ''Le Grêlé'' (, the Pockmarked Man), was a French serial killer, rape, rapist and police officer who murdered at least three people between 1986 and 1994 in the Île-de ...

. The murder was one of a series in the Paris area from 1986 to 1994 that shocked the city. In late September 2021, in his

suicide note A suicide note or death note is a message written by a person who intends to die by suicide. A study examining Japanese suicide notes estimated that 25–30% of suicides are accompanied by a note. However, incidence rates may depend on ethnic ...

, retired French police officer François Vérove confessed to the 1986 murder as well as to the other ''Le Grêlé (the pockmarked man) killings''.

DNA Deoxyribonucleic acid (; DNA) is a polymer composed of two polynucleotide chains that coil around each other to form a double helix. The polymer carries genetic instructions for the development, functioning, growth and reproduction of al ...

found at the scene linked the murder to two other murders and six

rape Rape is a type of sexual assault involving sexual intercourse, or other forms of sexual penetration, carried out against a person without consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority, or against a person ...

Murder

Shortly after noon on 5 May 1986, Bloch's mother, Suzanne, called the family's home telephone to make sure that Bloch had made it home for lunch. When Bloch did not answer, Suzanne called her daughter's school and was informed that she had not shown up for class that day. Suzanne and her husband Jean-Pierre alerted the guard at their apartment building and began searching for their daughter. Bloch's body was found half-naked under a piece of old carpet in the basement. She had been raped before she was strangled and stabbed.

Investigation

Investigators found that Bloch had been

strangled Strangling or strangulation is compression of the neck that may lead to unconsciousness or death by causing an increasingly hypoxic state in the brain by restricting the flow of oxygen through the trachea. Fatal strangulation typically occurs ...

and stabbed in the chest. The fact that her body was partially naked and the presence of

semen Semen, also known as seminal fluid, is a bodily fluid that contains spermatozoon, spermatozoa which is secreted by the male gonads (sexual glands) and other sexual organs of male or hermaphrodite, hermaphroditic animals. In humans and placen ...

indicated that she had been raped. Using DNA and descriptions collected from witnesses, police created a

facial composite A facial composite is a graphical representation of one or more eyewitnesses' memories of a face, as recorded by a composite artist. Facial composites are used mainly by police in their investigation of (usually serious) crimes. These images a ...

of the

serial killer A serial killer (also called a serial murderer) is a person who murders three or more people,An offender can be anyone: * * * * * (This source only requires two people) with the killings taking place over a significant period of time in separat ...

believed to have slain Bloch in 1986. In late September 2021, 59-year-old

said he was the killer, after authorities began to investigate him in connection to the crimes and was set to provide DNA to the police. He was found dead at seaside resort

Le Grau-du-Roi Le Grau-du-Roi (; ) is a commune in the Gard department in southern France. It is the only commune in Gard to have a frontage on the Mediterranean. To the west is the Herault department and La Grande-Motte village, and to the east is the Bouc ...

near

Montpellier Montpellier (; ) is a city in southern France near the Mediterranean Sea. One of the largest urban centres in the region of Occitania (administrative region), Occitania, Montpellier is the prefecture of the Departments of France, department of ...

in Occitanie, after committing suicide and leaving behind a suicide note claiming responsibility for the murder and as well as other rapes and murders.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bloch, Cécile 19th arrondissement of Paris 1980s murders in Paris 1986 murders in France Deaths by person in Paris Incidents of violence against girls May 1986 in Europe People murdered by law enforcement officers Rape in France Rape in the 1980s Stabbing attacks in France Stabbing attacks in 1986 Child sexual abuse in France Child murder in France Child sexual abuse in law enforcement Police misconduct in France