- Title: Families of Paris attack victims appear in court, hoping for answers
- Date: 24th May 2016
- Summary: PARIS, FRANCE (MAY 24, 2016) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF FAMILY MEMBERS OF PARIS ATTACKS VICTIMS OUTSIDE ECOLE MILITAIRE COMPLEX VARIOUS OF VICTIMS AND FAMILIES ENTERING BUILDING JOURNALISTS FILMING AS VICTIMS AND FAMILIES ENTER ECOLE MILITAIRE COMPLEX SECURITY SEARCHING WOMAN'S BAG VICTIMS AND FAMILIES ENTERING BUILDING (SOUNDBITE) (French) SISTER OF VICTIM WHO DIED AT CAFE SHOOTING DURING NOVEMBER ATTACKS, CLAIRE HOUD, SAYING: "This is the first court appearance we've made, we'll see where they're at (with the investigation), we'll see how these measures will help us heal our wounds. Today we're all here to understand what happened. My sister was at a cafe terrace quietly eating dinner and she died and she did not come back from her dinner. Today we're expecting to learn where the responsibilities lie, why my sister died, why she was transported from one side of the city to the other. Did she die then? Did she die at the beginning? We don't know. For the time being we have zero information and we've been patiently awaiting this moment. And it's time now for us to understand the ins and outs of this case and who killed all these people." HOUD AND A FRIEND WALKING INTO BUILDING SECRETARY GENERAL OF NATIONAL ACCIDENT VICTIMS' FEDERATION, STEPHANE GICQUEL, SPEAKING TO JOURNALISTS AT CAFE GICQUEL'S HAND HOLDING PHONE (SOUNDBITE) (French) SECRETARY GENERAL OF NATIONAL ACCIDENT VICTIMS' FEDERATION, STEPHANE GICQUEL, SAYING: "The families in mourning already have a very concrete and immediate expectation, to be told that the autopsy reports of their loved ones will be added to the investigation, which today is not the case. It's become hard to bear for these families, seven months after the attacks, not to know under which conditions their loved ones died. This is really the first expectation, and then to see how the results of these autopsies will be communicated to the families. We hope experts can accompany and inform the families directly, as they read carefully this report, which is a very important moment for these families." LAWYER REPRESENTING AROUND 75 VICTIMS OF THE NOVEMBER PARIS ATTACKS, GERARD CHEMLA, TALKING TO JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (French) LAWYER REPRESENTING AROUND 75 VICTIMS OF THE NOVEMBER PARIS ATTACKS, GERARD CHEMLA, SAYING: "The judges will present themselves to the families, will explain that they are taking care of the case, will try to reassure the families on how seriously this case is being handled. After that, the families are expecting on one hand to be told that the autopsy reports have finally been added to the investigation and that they will be given copies, so people can know how their loved ones died, if they suffered, if they saw the gunfire coming, these are difficult details. After that, they want to understand how we (authorities) were not capable of avoiding what happened at the Bataclan, and why they were not able to prevent these attacks and also how they were unable to prevent the attacks in Belgium, and what happened in Brussels several weeks ago."
- Embargoed: 8th June 2016 15:17
- Keywords: France shooting attacks victims court Paris Bataclan
- Location: PARIS, FRANCE
- City: PARIS, FRANCE
- Country: France
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,International/National Security
- Reuters ID: LVA0014J64DON
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: A few hundred family members and friends of the victims in November's attacks in Paris appeared before French judges on Tuesday (May 24) for the first time, hoping to learn more about what happened to their loved ones.
More than six months after a series of attacks across the French capital claimed the lives of 130 people and injured 350 others, families of victims are still in the dark about many facts.
"Today we're all here to understand what happened. My sister was at a cafe terrace quietly eating dinner and she died and she did not come back from her dinner. Today we're expecting to learn where the responsibilities lie, why my sister died, why she was transported from one side of the city to the other. Did she die then? Did she die at the beginning? We don't know. For the time being we have zero information and we've been patiently awaiting this moment. And it's time now for us to understand the ins and outs of this case and who killed all these people," said Claire Houd, whose sister Djamila Houd died on Nov. 13 when Islamist militants opened fire on the cafe where she was dining.
The six judges investigating the case will meet with families over the course of three days at Ecole Militaire, a military complex in centre Paris.
Stephane Gicquel, secretary general of the French national federation for victims of accidents, said one of the hardest things for families is not knowing how their loved ones died.
"The families in mourning already have a very concrete and immediate expectation, to be told that the autopsy reports of their loved ones will be added to the investigation, which today is not the case. It's become hard to bear for these families, seven months after the attacks, not to know under which conditions their loved ones died. This is really the first expectation, and then to see how the results of these autopsies will be communicated to the families. We hope experts can accompany and inform the families directly, as they read carefully this report, which is a very important moment for these families," he said.
Gerard Chemla, a lawyer who represents about 75 victims of the November attacks, said other questions might not have answers -- like why the French government was not able to prevent the Paris attacks, and how they did not see the Brussels bombings coming a few months later.
This court appearance follows the first hearing of Paris attacks prime suspect Salah Abdeslam, who refused to speak at his first hearing in France on Friday (May 20). - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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