Two men sentenced for 2022 murder of Argentine former rugby player
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A Paris court sentenced Loik Le Priol to 26 years and Romain Bouvier to 19 years for the 2022 shooting death of former Argentina rugby international Federico Martin Aramburu. Le Priol, who fired the fatal shots, asked the family for forgiveness as the trial concluded. The sentencing comes four years after the drive-by killing near Boulevard Saint-Germain.
Key Facts
- Loik Le Priol, 32, received a 26-year sentence for firing the fatal shots that killed Federico Martin Aramburu.
- Romain Bouvier, 35, was sentenced to 19 years for opening fire during the attack.
- Aramburu, 42, played 22 times for Argentina and scored a try against France at the 2007 Rugby World Cup.
- Le Priol was arrested in Hungary while attempting to cross into Ukraine after the shooting.
The Attack
CCTV footage showed Aramburu and former teammate Shaun Hegarty sitting at a bar opposite Le Priol and Bouvier on 19 March 2022. An altercation broke out between the two groups, and as the former rugby players walked toward their hotel, Le Priol and Bouvier drove around to find them and opened fire. Aramburu died at the scene, Reuters reported. Le Priol and Bouvier were both linked to a far-right extremist group at the time, which has since dissolved.
Trial and Sentencing
In a Paris court on Friday, Le Priol asked Aramburu's family for forgiveness, saying, "I'm Christian like you, the pope is here today," referring to Pope Leo XIV's visit to France. The defence cited post-traumatic stress disorder in Le Priol's case and childhood trauma in Bouvier's case. The presiding judge said Le Priol's "narcissistic, intrusive and uncontrollable rage" ultimately led to the "gratuitous killing" of Aramburu. Aramburu's widow Maria asked for a verdict that would allow her and Aramburu's three children "to build their lives as adults."
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