Overview

• The tribunal correctionnel de La Rochelle convicted the 83-year-old of aggravated involuntary manslaughter for the June 5, 2024 crash that killed 10-year-old Margot and injured seven other children.
• She received the four-year suspended prison term and five-year driving ban sought by the public prosecutor.
• During the trial, she claimed to have suffered a sudden ‘malaise’ in her vehicle, and medical experts were split on whether she experienced a syncope that would affect her criminal liability.
• Assessments at the time of her arrest found her unfit for custody, leading to her admission to a psychiatric hospital instead of detention.
• Margot’s family, expressing relief at the ruling, urged the driver not to appeal and pledged to advocate for mandatory lifelong fitness checks for senior motorists.