Ukrainian national detained in Monaco over death of princely family member

Monaco's public prosecutor's office has announced the detention of a 42-year-old Ukrainian citizen in connection with the death of 29-year-old Antoine de Massy, a member of the Monaco princely family whose body was found last Sunday. The report comes from the Ukrainian outlet European Pravda, citing the French newspaper Le Figaro.

The man has been charged with failing to assist a person in danger and with involuntary manslaughter. He has been placed in pretrial detention. Prosecutors have not specified what exactly he is alleged to have done.

What is known about the case

De Massy's body was found on a median strip in the Larvotto district, by the sea. He was a grandson of Princess Antoinette, the elder sister of Prince Rainier III, who was the father of Monaco's current ruler, Prince Albert II.

Monaco's prosecutor general, Stéphane Thibault, said a criminal case had been opened after an investigation by the judicial police and passed to an investigating judge. Separately, the prosecutor said the autopsy pointed to a probable cause of death of a fall from a height of 13 metres.

The man, detained on Monday, has lived in Monaco for thirty years. Prosecutors say he denied the allegations during custody. According to a source familiar with the matter, de Massy was seen on the night before Sunday leaving a nightclub, staggering and supported by a man.

Earlier incidents

The source recalls that on 29 June an explosion in Monaco injured three people, two of them very seriously. They included Ukrainian businessman Vadym Yermolaiev, who is under sanctions, and people close to him. A 39-year-old Ukrainian, Anastasiia Berezovska, was later put on a wanted list as a suspect in planting the explosives; she was subsequently found dead. Ukrainian authorities have detained two people on suspicion of her murder.