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Walid ChamkhiAvocat, Nantes Bar

Home / Criminal defence / Accused of domestic violence

Accused of domestic violence: understand, regain your footing, prepare your defence

A complaint, a call from the police, a summons: it is a shock, and it is normal to feel worried. Being accused is not being convicted. You are presumed innocent, you have rights, and every step can be prepared.

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What will happen, step by step

  1. The interview: you are summoned to the police or gendarmerie station, for a voluntary interview or in police custody (garde à vue). This is when you give your account, with your lawyer at your side.
  2. The prosecutor's decision: at the end of the investigation, he may drop the case, propose an alternative measure such as an awareness course, or summon you before the court.
  3. While awaiting the hearing: the judge may impose obligations, such as not contacting the other person or not going to the home. They are provisional and can be modified.
  4. The hearing: before the criminal court in Nantes, you are heard, your lawyer pleads, and the court takes your background and situation into account.

Your rights, from the very first minute

  • To be assisted by a lawyer during the interview or police custody.
  • To remain silent, make a statement or answer questions: it is your choice.
  • To have a relative informed and to see a doctor if you are in police custody.
  • To have an interpreter if you do not understand French well.
  • To have access, through your lawyer, to the file before the hearing.

What really helps

  • Complying strictly with the obligations set by the judge: it is your best asset for what comes next.
  • Not contacting the other person, directly, through someone else or on social media.
  • Keeping whatever supports your account: messages, witnesses, documents.
  • Preserving your stability: work, home, ties with your family.
  • If you feel the need, starting some form of support: it is for you too, and the court notices it.

What the firm does for you

The firm acts exclusively for the defence of people who are accused. It assists you at the interview or in police custody, checks that the procedure is lawful, asks for the measures to be adjusted where needed, prepares the hearing with you and defends you before the criminal court in Nantes. At every stage, you know where you stand and what comes next.

And your children?

If a measure prevents you from seeing your children, solutions exist. See Not allowed to see my children after a complaint: what can I do?

What to do now

  1. Call a lawyer before any interview: the first phone call is free.
  2. Keep the summons and note the dates.
  3. Comply with any obligations imposed.

Walid Chamkhi, avocatAdmitted to the Nantes Bar, acting in Nantes

General information, which does not replace an analysis of your situation. Fees incl. VAT: police custody €498, criminal court proceedings €1,200, lifting a no-contact order or modifying judicial supervision €720, sentence enforcement and adjustment €600, set out in a written fee agreement. See the fee schedule.