FRENCH TSUNAMI VICTIMS CLAIM

French tsunami victims filed a complaint of a criminal offence or a crime.

 French victims of the tsunami: opening of a preliminary inquiry

AP ¦ 12.09.05 ¦ 20:57

PARIS ( AP) - The parque - public prosecutor's department-  of Paris opened on Monday a preliminary inquiry following the complaint put down last Monday by the families of French victims of the tsunami living in the Sofitel de Khao Lak (Thailand), as it was learnt on Monday from judicial source.

 
This inquiry, confided to the brigade of repression of the crime against the persons, should determine in which conditions the alert was given and will have to look for the possible incapacities of the responsibles for the hotel, as it is clarified by the same source.

The investigators will have to hear  the survivors, as the local responsibles for the hotel Sofitel, and become attached to the chronology of the facts.

The Association of support in victims living in the Sofitel de Khao Lak blames the hotel group Accor for the absence of consideration of a predictable risk in a region already got  by tsunamis.

It also points the incapacities and the late reaction of the Thai Meteorological Offices, nevertheless " warned of the arrival of the wave, well before that it hits the coasts of Thailand ".

The plaintiffs blame then the ruling team of the Sofitel for not having known how to manage correctly the alert, while recognizing that this one was received in "doubtless late and insufficient conditions ". They also criticize the "fanciful and contradictory" explanations given after the drama by the group Accor.

Among 95 French tourists who died during the tsunami on December 26th, 2004, near half live in the hotel Sofitel Magic Lagoon de Khao Lak, an establishment of the French hotel group Accor.

The French justice is competent abroad when a French national is a victim of a crime or an offence.

***

Von: Victimes Sofitel Khaolak [mailto:association@victimes-sofitel-khaolak.com]
Gesendet: Dienstag, 13. September 2005 10:19
An: kanzlei@hh-law.at; Office-RA-Mag.Dr.Gerhard Podovsovnik; ed4125@hotmail.com
Cc: gicquel_stephane@hotmail.com
Betreff: An inquiry about tsunami

A week ago our association and relatives of 30 victims pressed charges for unintentional manslaughter and professionnal negliegnce.

The Prosecutor have decided to open an inquiry ans it is a great success for us and proved that our plaintiff with evidences is serious !

Following Associated Press's press release

Yours Stéphane GICQUEL (president of french SOFITEL victims support association).

French victims of the tsunami: opening of a preliminary inquiry

AP ¦ 12.09.05 ¦ 20:57

PARIS ( AP) - The parque - public prosecutor's department-  of Paris opened on Monday a preliminary inquiry following the complaint put down last Monday by the families of French victims of the tsunami living in the Sofitel de Khao Lak (Thailand), as it was learnt on Monday from judicial source.
 

This inquiry, confided to the brigade of repression of the crime against the persons, should determine in which conditions the alert was given and will have to look for the possible incapacities of the responsibles for the hotel, as it is clarified by the same source.
The investigators will have to hear  the survivors, as the local responsibles for the hotel Sofitel, and become attached to the chronology of the facts.
 

The Association of support in victims living in the Sofitel de Khao Lak blames the hotel group Accor for the absence of consideration of a predictable risk in a region already got  by tsunamis.
It also points the incapacities and the late reaction of the Thai Meteorological Offices, nevertheless    " warned of the arrival of the wave, well before that it hits the coasts of Thailand ".
 

The plaintiffs blame then the ruling team of the Sofitel for not having known how to manage correctly the alert, while recognizing that this one was received in " doubtless late and insufficient conditions ". They also criticize the "fanciful and contradictory" explanations given after the drama by the group Accor.
 

Among 95 French tourists who died during the tsunami on December 26th, 2004, near half live in the hotel Sofitel Magic Lagoon de Khao Lak, an establishment of the French hotel group Accor.
The French justice is competent abroad when a French national is a victim of a crime or an offence.