10 people died, and 96 others were injured, in the fire of their building rue Erlanger in the XVIth arrondissement of Paris. An intentional fire started on the 2nd floor by a woman suffering from psychiatric disorders.
“When we finally arrived, not exactly on the street because everything was barricaded, we couldn’t approach. There were firefighters coming in and out (…) I was wondering where was my mother, where was my father? (…) It was my parents’ building but in my head, I always had the hope that it was another one that was on fire.
Richelle lost both parents on the night of February 4 to 5, 2019. The 65 and 58-year-old couple, in France for 20 years, lived on the 7th floor of 17 bis rue Erlanger in the 16th arrondissement of Paris. This Monday, she will be present at the opening of the trial for the fire in the building, voluntarily lit by a resident, Essia B. who is appearing for three weeks before the Paris Assize Court. 10 people died that night.
“Everyone is delighted that there is a trial,” says Déborah Meier-Mimran, lawyer for around twenty civil parties.
A day and a half is planned to hear them.
“Need to understand”
The criminal responsibility of Essia B. was at the heart of the investigation which lasted more than three years. The alteration of discernment was retained when the young woman came out two weeks earlier from a stay in a psychiatric hospital, the 13th in ten years.
The survivors of this violent fire and the families of the victims know that they will have to face in the hall of the Paris Assize Court “an accused who will not answer their questions”.
“They want to put a face to a name,” explains Me Helena Christidis, lawyer for three direct victims. “They need to understand, they are angry because they don’t understand. But can we understand this gesture…”
Some survivors have returned to live with their parents, others have left Paris for good and never want to return. All are polytraumatized with various consequences: the apprehension to take the subway, that to live in a building or the anguish caused by a noise of flow of water, recalling the intervention of the firefighters.
Survivors at the helm
Nadjib lost his wife Radia in the fire. The forty-year-old couple lived on the 6th floor of 17 bis rue Erlanger. A floor where there was no railing, preventing them from taking refuge on the roof. Radia got out of the window, her husband was saved in extremis by the firefighters. He will come to testify before the Assize Court, as a survivor and close to the victim.
“He wishes to participate in this work of justice in the hope that he will be a little relieved in his pain”, summarizes his lawyer, Me Julien Plouton. “These are facts that have had a terrible impact on him.”
Like Nadjib, another 55-year-old resident has lived with “survivor’s guilt” for four years. The night of the tragedy, she remained hanging for hours on a railing. Thinking she was going to die, she called her parents to say goodbye. Heard by the police the day after her rescue, she has not had to deal with justice since that day.
“Many residents are ghosts in this case,” laments Me Déborah Meier-Mimran. “With this lawsuit, they want to put a face to names on a list.”
Many outstanding questions
Beyond the criminal responsibility of the accused, there are many questions on the side of the civil parties, starting with that of the care of psychologically fragile people.
“Why was she free if we knew she was dangerous?” Asks Me Helena Christidis on behalf of her clients. “Radia’s family is aware that Essia B. had psychic frailties, why take the risk that things like this happen?”, abounds Me Julien Plouton.
“We didn’t know this woman, why was she living here if she had mental illness, why was she living with normal people? I have a lot of questions,” Richelle says.
The other questions relate to the intervention of the emergency services, while many Parisian buildings have the same configuration as the whole of rue Erlanger. “What were the conditions of intervention?” asks Me Déborah Meier-Mimran. “Did the emergency services quickly understand that some people on the floors were going to die? This is not a criticism, they just want to understand.” The firefighters involved will be heard on Friday.
