Sonia, key witness to 13 November attacks, receives close to 500,000 euros in donations
A fundraiser launched by Life for Paris has reached close to 500,000 euros to support Sonia, the first French protected witness who enabled the arrest of the perpetrators of the 2015 attacks. It will be closed on 13 November.
Fundraiser closed eleven years after the attacks
According to BFM TV, a donation collection aimed at supporting Sonia, a key witness who enabled the arrest of the perpetrators of the 13 November 2015 attacks, has reached close to 500,000 euros. The Life for Paris organisation will close the fundraiser this Friday, 13 November at midnight, eleven years to the day after the killings.
Sonia's action changed the course of the investigations. On 16 November 2015, she called the emergency services and enabled law enforcement to identify and neutralise Abdelhamid Abaaoud, the coordinator of the attacks, and his two accomplices in their hideout in Saint-Denis. This call stopped imminent threats to the population.
This heroic action has forever changed her life. Now a protected witness, Sonia lives under permanent police protection and with a new identity. She is the first woman in France to benefit from such a status.
In a video posted on the Ulule platform, Sonia thanked the donors for their support: "I wanted to thank you for your words, your donations, but more for your words. This year has been full for me. I was able to pay back my loans, help and lend a hand as you lent me one."
She also reaffirmed her determination despite eleven years of isolation. "What I did 11 years ago, I would do again tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, no matter what," Sonia declared. She expressed an "enormous thought" for all the victims of the attacks and their loved ones.
Arthur Dénouveaux, former president of Life for Paris, praised her humility. On France Info, he stated: "I believe that Sonia falls particularly into this category" of heroine, "already because she refuses this title, and because what she did, she did with incredible humility, that of a citizen who can prevent a massacre". The organisation is calling for a "final push" for the collection to reach its goal before Friday's closure.
Source: BFM TV