Death of Ismaël in lift at Argenteuil: verdict expected eight years on
The Pontoise court will deliver its verdict on Wednesday in the case of the death of Ismaël, 4, crushed by a faulty lift at Argenteuil in 2018.
Deadly lift at Argenteuil: eight years' wait before judgment
The Pontoise magistrates' court (Val-d'Oise) is delivering its verdict this Wednesday, 2 September in the case of the death of Ismaël, 4, killed on 8 June 2018 by a faulty lift in a shopping centre in Argenteuil. According to France Info, this judgment closes an eight-year judicial procedure for the child's family.
Chahra-Zad Bennabti, Ismaël's mother, expressed her pain at the end of the hearings. "I am the mother of a child who died before my eyes, before the eyes of his brother, of his cousins," she declared. "Waiting eight years is leaving us eight years in suffering, without having an answer and people facing us, who are nonetheless responsible, pointed out in the expert assessment and still not condemned," she added.
The facts: a fatal lift accident
On 8 June 2018, as part of the family was leaving the lift in the shopping centre, the equipment fell suddenly. Ismaël became trapped between the landing and the cabin. Despite prompt emergency intervention, the child died from asphyxia.
Expert assessments identified faulty repairs carried out in 2015. The maintenance technician pleaded human error. The assembler and the company responsible for the repairs shifted responsibility throughout the proceedings.
Defence arguments
TK Elevator, one of the parties involved, called for its acquittal. Its lawyer, Me Marie Guimard, contended that "the lift was perfectly within regulations" and that "the accident was due to the breakage of a defective part that was manufactured by another specialist company, which was not TK Elevator". She specified that "the fragility of this part was undetectable for TK Elevator".
Prosecution submissions
The prosecution requested 18 months' imprisonment with suspension against the employee in question, a fine of €80,000 for his employer, and €150,000 against the assembler. The court was to deliver its decision during Wednesday.
Source: France Info