The Unending Mystery of Judge Borrel’s Death in Djibouti

It has been thirty years since the death of Judge Bernard Borrel. When his burned body was found in Djibouti on October 19, 1995, his wife, Élisabeth Borrel, began a long and painful battle — a battle for the truth.
Borrel, who had served as a prosecutor in Lisieux from 1988 to 1994, was on a judicial cooperation mission in the former French colony of Djibouti when he was found dead.

Djiboutian authorities quickly ruled the case a suicide (self-immolation), but 22 years later, on July 13, 2017, the Paris Public Prosecutor’s Office officially acknowledged that the case bore signs of foul play.
Yet, Élisabeth Borrel continues to fight for the case to be reclassified as murder, not suicide.
Her thirty-year quest has brought to light disturbing and suspicious details.

Crucial Evidence Destroyed in 2015

One of the most shocking revelations came in 2015, when it was discovered that key pieces of evidence in the case had been destroyed.
Among the missing items were a sandal, a lighter, and Bernard Borrel’s shorts.
At the time, the family’s lawyer, Laurent de Caunes, stated:

“Given the history of this case, the possibility of foul play cannot be ruled out. If that’s the case, this is outright sabotage.”

Élisabeth Borrel went further, describing it as a “state crime”, possibly implicating then-Djiboutian President Ismaïl Omar Guelleh.
The Paris Prosecutor’s Office called the destruction “an error”, citing a 2003 ruling of non-prosecution (non-lieu) issued on September 19, 2003.

After retiring in 2022, Élisabeth Borrel reexamined the extensive case file and uncovered a startling fact:

“My son and I conducted our own investigation based on the available documents.
Incredibly, we found part of the death certificate — it was recorded on October 18 at around 10 p.m.
But at that time, I hadn’t even reported my husband missing yet, and officially, his body wasn’t found until the next day.”

This discovery suggests that the death certificate was filed before the body was found.
Élisabeth Borrel believes this detail is crucial:

“It proves it was murder. If we had had access to the full death certificate from the start, the suicide theory would have collapsed immediately.”

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A Stalled Investigation and State Secrets

The French justice system has made little to no progress on the case.
France has refused to declassify “national defense” (secret-défense) documents, keeping crucial information hidden.
As a result, the investigation has come to a complete standstill, as has the separate inquiry into the destruction of evidence.

According to Élisabeth Borrel:

“The last judge handling the case was completely passive. He never agreed to meet us. We haven’t heard anything since February.”

That judge has since been reassigned, as confirmed by the Official Gazette of the French Republic — yet the family was never informed.
Lawyer Laurent de Caunes clarified:

“Surprisingly, the legal procedure does not require parties to be notified in such cases.”

A new judge was later appointed but also left the case after being promoted in September.
Currently, the file is awaiting reassignment to another magistrate.

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A Support Committee in Lisieux

Élisabeth Borrel’s fight began in isolation.
But in 2006, people who knew her late husband founded a support committee in Lisieux.
Committee secretary François Anfray recalls:

“Madame Borrel was all alone. No one stood by her.”

The committee, still active twenty years later, now counts around 120 members.
Co-president André Lucas explained:

“We relay everything Mrs. Borrel does.
Over time, we’ve realized how powerful the state apparatus is.
This is an important battle for democracy.”

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A Family’s Quiet Struggle

Borrel’s son, Louis-Alexandre, was eight years old when his father died.
As an adult, he joined his mother’s campaign for truth:

“Our mother shielded us from a lot. She fought this battle alone for years.
I’ve often wondered how she managed to do all this.”

Louis-Alexandre recently self-published a book titled Toi qui nous demeures (“You Who Remain With Us”), retracing his mother’s struggle and his search to understand his father:

“I discovered new things — like his inauguration speech in Lisieux.
He had a strong southern accent, which I had no memory of.
It’s like a puzzle; you find missing pieces over time.
I’ve always heard he was a man of integrity, but I also learned about his pain and vulnerabilities.”

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“My Children Will Not Live Believing Their Father Took His Own Life”

Even after three decades, Élisabeth Borrel continues to battle what she calls “a broken justice system.”
Her determination remains unshaken:

“All we want is to be told the truth about what happened.”

She admits the struggle has taken a heavy toll:

“Of course it’s difficult, unbearably heavy.
I have so many dreams of living differently, but I never had a choice.
Still, I’m proud I’ve come this far — because my children will not live believing their father killed himself.
This is not a fight for revenge, but a fight born out of love.”