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PE Teacher Convicted in 2020 Haute‑Savoie Pupil Death, Receives Suspended 18‑Month Sentence

The suspended sentence puts fresh focus on institutional responsibility for enforcing medical dispensations.

Overview

  • France’s tribunal correctionnel de Thonon‑les‑Bains found the former PE teacher guilty of involuntary manslaughter and imposed 18 months suspended and a €5,000 fine, below the two‑year suspended term sought by prosecutors.
  • The defense announced an immediate appeal after the verdict.
  • The 12‑year‑old had a cardiologist’s exemption for congenital hypertrophic cardiomyopathy but took part in an endurance run, collapsed on December 1, 2020, and died the next day in Geneva.
  • The parents condemned the sentence as too lenient and said they will file a complaint against the Education Ministry to pursue state liability.
  • Previous proceedings resulted in a confirmed non‑lieu for the principal, the CPE, and the school nurse, as case records noted policies requiring medically exempt pupils to attend PE for non‑physical tasks.