French lifeguard and local council found guilty of manslaughter after Brit girl, 12, drowned in lake on school trip
18 July 2024, 06:42
A french lifeguard and local council have been found guilty of manslaughter after a 12-year-old British girl drowned in lake on a school trip.
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Jessica Lawson, from Wolfreton School in Willerby, near Hull, died after a pontoon capsized in a lake near the city of Limoges in July 2015.
It was ruled on Wednesday that swimming supervisor Leo Lemaire, 30, was criminally responsible for the "manslaughter through a clearly deliberate violation of an obligation of providing safety or prudence".
Judges said Lemaire, who denied any wrongdoing, showed "lack of vigilance" on the day. He received an eight month suspended sentence.
Liginiac Town Hall was also fined £17,000 as there were no signs "warning of the dangers of swimming off the pontoon".
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Both Lemaire and the council were also ordered to pay damage to Jessica's parents who now live in Portugal.
It comes after three British teachers were found not guilty of manslaughter by gross negligence.
Teachers Steven Layne, Chantelle Lewis and Daisy Stathers were cleared in October 2022.
Lemaire, who had been on duty at the time of the incident, was initially acquitted too.
But a fresh trial was launched in May this year after the Lawson family challenged the verdict.
