Family members, local officials, and community groups gathered in La Ferté-Macé to unveil a memorial display dedicated to Mélanie Lemée, a former French youth judo champion and gendarme who died in the line of duty in July 2020, Actu reported.
The martial arts hall in the Orne department, which has carried Lemée’s name since 2021, now features a custom wooden frame containing two photographs of Lemée on the tatami alongside her France judo team kimono, with her name and club embroidered on the belt. José Collado, former mayor Michel Leroyer, and members of Lemée’s family attended the inauguration ceremony.
Honoring a Judo Competitor and Gendarme
The memorial display was crafted by local carpenter Franck Sublard using ash wood, with an interior design by Edwige Cerisier. Below the glass case, a plaque outlines Lemée’s athletic and professional background. Before joining the gendarmerie, Lemée built an extensive judo career, competing from a young age and earning multiple bronze medals in French youth championships alongside a fifth-place finish at the junior European Cup.
A severe injury prompted her departure from the National Institute of Sport, Expertise, and Performance (INSEP) in 2015. Despite the setback, she later competed for the French military judo team, capturing bronze medals at the military world championships in 2016 and 2018, as well as two national military titles during the same years.
Professional Service and Tragic Death
Lemée transitioned to law enforcement after training at the Tulle school in 2015, receiving an assignment to the Aiguillon brigade in Lot-et-Garonne in 2016. On July 4, 2020, while participating in a roadside checkpoint in Port-Sainte-Marie, the 25-year-old gendarme was struck and killed by a motorist who refused to obey a stop order. Posthumously promoted to major, she received both the Legion of Honour and the military medal.
Community figures present at the ceremony included Clémence Corbeau, president of the La Ferté-Macé Judo Club; Frédéric Remarse of AJ61, who formerly coached Lemée; Michel Ménardon, president of the Orne Judo Committee; and representatives from the Mélanie Passion Sports association. Gendarmerie officials, including Commander Solenn Le Gouez and Major David Deleuze, also attended.
Conclusion of the Judicial Proceedings
Following the memorial unveiling, Christian Lemée addressed the conclusion of the legal proceedings stemming from his daughter’s death. Trials took place in Agen in June 2025 and on appeal in Auch in June 2026. The defendant received a 26-year prison sentence. After initially considering an appeal to the Court of Cassation, the defendant dropped the challenge, officially closing the judicial case.
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