Michel Peiry

Background

Michel Peiry (born 28 février 1959), nicknamed “Le sadique de Romont (FR)”, was convicted and sentenced to life in prison on October 31, 1989.

He was described as having a pattern in which he took young adolescents who were hitch-hiking, bound them, raped or subjected them to sexual acts, killed them, and later burned their bodies.

The offences caused public concern in Switzerland for months, and later returned to public debate in 2004 when the people decided on the internment for life of dangerous offenders.

The offence

The case involved multiple murders attributed to Michel Peiry, with victims described as boys aged 14 to 18 who met him while hitch-hiking.

Victims were described as being tortured and subjected to sexual abuse, including rape.

The sentencing discussion also referenced “l’assassinat de 3 adolescents et 2 autres assassinats manqués de peu.”

The record described an episode in which a 17-year-old hitch-hiker (Michel) was taken, beaten, handcuffed, subjected to numerous abuses, and abandoned in a river; he was not dead and later made his way to Sottens.

Investigation

The investigation began after the 17-year-old hitch-hiker survived and walked to the village of Sottens, where he was taken in by an educator.

The record stated that, based on details provided by Michel Peiry’s surviving victim, investigators obtained information about the offender’s description and the vehicle.

The investigation continued for more than two years, and the record described it as resulting in the discovery of a long criminal history.

Arrest

Michel Peiry was arrested on 1 May 1987 while he was performing a refresher course.

Trial

Michel Peiry was sentenced to life in prison on October 31, 1989.

The record stated that the judge of penal enforcement and measures for the Bas-Valais refused a conditional release for Michel Peiry.

Sentencing

Michel Peiry received a life sentence on October 31, 1989 for the assassination of 3 adolescents and 2 other attempted murders.

The record stated that, at the time of the penal enforcement decision, the judge took into account the persistence of a high risk of reoffending.

Appeals

The record included decisions in which conditional release was denied.

On 4 décembre 2002, the Valais canton denied conditional release to Michel Peiry. The record stated that:

• Michel Peiry had been condemned to life imprisonment on October 31, 1989 for a series of crimes involving sexual abuse.
• The Valais conditional release commission considered that the convicted person should continue the psychotherapy undertaken for a period of ten years.
• At the end of that period, a new in-depth assessment of the evolution of Michel Peiry’s personal situation would be carried out.
• The commission assessed the advantages and disadvantages of continued detention for both society and the convicted person.
• It followed the recommendations of the experts on dangerousness from the University Institute of Forensic Medicine in Geneva, recommending continued detention.

Outcome

Michel Peiry remained imprisoned following the denial of conditional release.

Timeline

• 1 September 1981 — The first attributed crime was traced to Michel Peiry; he was described as being 22 years old and travelling in the United States, where a young Canadian named Sylvestre was said to have disappeared without leaving traces.
• 4 February 1984 — In the region of Annecy (France), Michel Peiry assassinated the young Frédéric.
• 7 May 1986 — The first Swiss victim was described as the young Cédric, whose charred body was found in Albinen, an isolated region of Valais.
• 7 May 1986 — Michel Peiry was described as travelling in July 1986 in several European countries, including Yugoslavia.
• 16 April 1987 — A young French person was described as the ninth victim of the “sadique de Romont” in the region of Como in Italy.
• 24 April 1987 — A 17-year-old hitch-hiker made his way to Sottens and survived after being beaten, handcuffed, abused, and abandoned in a river; investigators began after this.
• 1 May 1987 — Michel Peiry was arrested while performing military service-related activities in the canton of Bern.
• March 1987 — A victim named Vincent was described as being found charred.
• June 1985 — The record described Anne-Laure (or Anne-Fleur, with uncertainty in the recollection) as the only woman assassinated by Michel Peiry in Camargue at Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer.
• June 1985 — The record stated that Michel Peiry took victims hitch-hiking and, in the pattern described, bound, raped or subjected them to sexual acts, killed them, and burned their bodies.
• April 1987 — The period between September 1981 and April 1987 was described as including four murders, one murder, and two attempted murders.
• 31 October 1989 — Michel Peiry was sentenced to life imprisonment.
• 15 February 2002 — A narrative describing the 24 April 1987 incident was included in the record.
• 4 December 2002 — Conditional release was refused by the canton of Valais.

Other details

The record described the pattern of Michel Peiry’s method as: taking a hitch-hiking adolescent; threatening with a weapon; attaching the person with handcuffs or ropes; raping; torturing; killing with a hammer or stones; and burning the body.

The record stated that, for “several crimes with sexual abuse,” Michel Peiry confessed and then retracted statements, describing frequent alternation between admissions and retractions.

The record mentioned that Michel Peiry had been arrested after a denunciation by his own family.

The record referenced the “commission de libération conditionnelle valaisanne” and the “Institut universitaire de médecine légale de Genève” in the context of dangerousness and expert recommendations for continued detention.

The record stated that, between September 1981 and April 1987, Michel Peiry confessed to having committed four murders and one murder, with two murders being described as attempted or “assassinats manqués de peu,” and also confessed to additional cases in which he was said to have provided many details before retracting—two in France and one in Yugoslavia.

The record identified additional named or referred victims:

• Sylvestre (young Canadian) — disappeared without leaving traces.
• Frédéric (young person) — assassinated in the region of Annecy (France).
• Anne-Laure (or Anne-Fleur) — described as the only woman assassinated by Michel Peiry in Camargue at Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer.
• Cédric — whose charred body was found at Albinen.
• Silvio — a murder that Michel Peiry confessed to in the Rijeka region (present-day Croatia) before retracting.
• Fabio V. — described as a young victim in the canton of Tessin (Switzerland) whom he took hitch-hiking and killed.
• Yves Ath. — described as the first living victim, who suffered sexual abuse and a failed homicide attempt in the region of Neuchâtel (Switzerland).
• Vincent — described as being found charred in March 1987.
• A young French victim — described as the ninth victim in the region of Como in Italy on 16 April 1987.
• A second victim spared on 24 April 1987 — described as Michel, a 17-year-old hitch-hiker who was abused and abandoned in a river but survived.

The record described psychology themes about Michel Peiry, including that he was portrayed as having “masque de normalité,” and included references to his homosexuality and fantasies of violence, as well as his account of discovering sexuality through a bondage magazine; it also stated that sexuality and violence became inseparable in his mind.

The record also contained a statement attributed to the penal enforcement judge and included the phrasing:

“Le sadique de Romont” doit rester en prison.

It further included the phrasing:

“Le sadique de Romont ne bénéficiera pas d'une libération conditionnelle.”