It took a long time for her to take public transport, to return to a store or to sit down at a restaurant.
“Things are going much better, reassures Noémie, more than five years after the Hyper Cacher hostage-taking, but the first months were very difficult.
Even today, I am hypervigilant: in an enclosed space, I cannot help but stare at each person who comes in and out.
But, thanks to the help of my relatives and therapists, I gradually managed to resume a normal life.
"
On January 9, 2015, Noémie was shopping at the Hyper Cacher at Porte de Vincennes when she heard a deafening noise.
“I immediately thought of the shots, but I thought it was coming from the ring road,” she recalls.
But seeing the fear of the other customers running in all directions, I understood.
Especially since the attack on "Charlie Hebdo" was in everyone's mind.
I tried to exit the store, but saw the silhouette of the terrorist at the entrance.
She takes refuge with other clients trapped in the basement.
For lack of an emergency exit, it is from a cold room in the Hyper Cacher that this nurse, now aged 32, will experience this hostage-taking.
She refuses to go back into the store as Amedy Coulibaly demands.
But the anguish is maximum: the recluses ignore the number of attackers: "Our fear was that they would be two and that one of them would descend ..."
"The police were exceptional"
In all, there are seven of them with an 11-month-old baby who endure this excruciating wait.
“Every minute was endless, but we knew how to stay calm.
Our survival was at stake, explains Noémie.
The baby was also wonderful: he never cried.
Since then, the group has remained united.
“We saw each other several times, our ties are very strong.
It's like a family.
If we managed to hold on, during the hostage-taking and after, it is thanks to this support, ”underlines the ex-captive.
After more than four hours of anxiety, the assault is finally given.
“The police officers were exceptional, insists Noémie.
They told us not to look around on our way back into the store.
We knew we were walking in a bloodbath, but I thank them for their attention, because it allowed me to avoid having traumatic images in my head.
The hostages who stayed with Ammy Coulibaly and his cowardly shot victims were not so lucky.
VIDEO. January 2015 attacks: from Charlie to Hyper Cacher, 3 days that marked France
Noémie is now preparing to testify before the Special Assize Court with the support of her lawyer, Me Patrick Klugman.
“The main actors are no longer there,” she regrets.
But I am waiting for exemplary sentences to be pronounced against the accomplices.
Even if they didn't know exactly what was going to happen, we don't provide a weapon with impunity!
"
Newsletter - Most of the news
Every morning, the news seen by Le Parisien
I'm registering
Your email address is collected by Le Parisien to enable you to receive our news and commercial offers.
Learn more
Since the attack, the young woman has resumed her work as a nurse, but no longer in an intensive care unit.
She mostly gave birth to her first child four months ago.
Life rather than terror.