The Paris Court of Appeal examined on Wednesday January 26 an appeal by the Paris City Hall, under investigation since September 2020 in the investigation into the deadly explosion in the rue de Trévise in January 2019, against the refusal of the judges to instruction to order a counter-expertise.
The investigating chamber of the court of appeal will render its decision on March 30, according to concordant sources.
Read alsoExplosion of the rue de Trévise: the injured still awaiting their compensation
"
We hope that the court will grant our request for a second opinion
," said Me Sabrina Goldman, lawyer for the City of Paris, after the hearing, which was held behind closed doors.
“
We cannot do without a second reading on the analysis of the causes of this accident, the stakes are too high for all the parties
”, she added, considering that the experts had committed “
serious mistakes
”.
“
The criminal experts are alone against all in this case, their hypotheses do not hold water
”, added Me Benjamin Porcher, lawyer for the syndic of co-ownership of the building in front of which the explosion occurred, also put in considered in this survey.
"The experts have given themselves the means and the justice too"
On the morning of January 12, 2019, a very strong explosion, caused by a gas leak, blew up this street in the 9th arrondissement of Paris.
Result: four dead including two firefighters, 66 injured and around 400 victims.
In September 2020, following a final report by experts appointed by the courts, which pointed in particular to the responsibility of the City, the City of Paris was indicted for "
involuntary homicides and injuries
" and "
destruction, degradation or deterioration by the effect of an explosion or a fire
”.
The syndic of co-ownership of the building at 6, rue Trévise was also indicted for the same charges a few days later, while a construction company responsible for carrying out work on the sidewalk, above the gas pipeline that exploded, was placed under the more favorable status of assisted witness. The GRDF natural gas distribution network, on the other hand, has not been the subject of any proceedings.
On December 13, 2021, the investigating judges announced their intention to close the investigations without waiting for the appeal against the refusal to order a second opinion to be examined by the Court of Appeal, causing several parties to misunderstand. .
"
The experts have given themselves the means and the justice too
", for his part estimated Me Clarisse Serre, lawyer for several victims.
“
We can only be pleased that the expertise was carried out within these deadlines
”.