Overview

• The Tribunal judiciaire de Paris ruled that investigative shortcomings and a lack of human resources amounted to a ‘faute lourde’ engaging the State’s civil liability.
• Judges cited concrete failures including an uncatalogued file for nine years, a rapid succession of about ten investigating magistrates, and a sprawling dossier with 48,407 references that hampered coordination.
• The court ordered €50,000 in moral damages to Éric Mouzin and dismissed his claim for material and financial compensation.
• At a June hearing, the public prosecutor acknowledged failings toward the civil party but argued there was no direct causal link to the absence of earlier formal action against Michel Fourniret.
• Éric Mouzin and his lawyer welcomed a hard‑won, symbolic recognition they hope will drive lessons for other unresolved child‑disappearance investigations.