The French man on trial for the murder of his wife whose body has never been found. a case that has captivated France, on Wednesday said he did not understand the anger of his son towards him.
Cedric Jubillar, 38, denies any wrongdoing over the disappearance of his wife Delphine, a nurse aged 33 and the mother of his two children, in December 2020 at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.
"I don't understand why," the accused told the presiding judge, who asked him why his eldest son Louis, now 11 years old, was "very, very angry" with his father.
The state-appointed administrator who looks after the interests of Louis and his sister Elyah -- Cedric Jubillar has been in prison since 2021 -- had used those words to describe the son's attitude at a hearing the day earlier.
"They will have to try to move forward with this trauma and the first person who can help them move forward is you, Mr Jubillar, by answering their questions," the administrator had told the court in the southern town of Albi on Tuesday.
Louis is "convinced that his father is responsible" for his mother's disappearance, she added on Tuesday.
But on Wednesday, Jubillar said again that he is innocent.
"I don't understand the position she (the administrator) can take regarding me, knowing that I didn't kill Delphine. The fact that she looks me straight in the eye and tells me that my son wants answers about his mother's death makes me feel concerned and discriminated against."
Louis was six when his mother Delphine disappeared on the night of December 15-16, 2020. Elyah was 18 months old at the time and is six today. Delphine's sister, Stephanie, is now their legal guardian alongside her husband.
Defence lawyers accuse prosecutors of leading a prejudiced investigation, noting no body has been found, there is no crime scene and no DNA evidence.
However, investigators say his conduct reinforced suspicions -- he barely participated in the search for his missing wife and made threatening remarks in front of witnesses about what he might do to her if she were to leave him.
The couple had been together for 18 years but Delphine had made clear her desire for a divorce. The verdict is awaited on October 17.