AP: 2 French police face pre-riot charges

[Eugene]

2 French police face pre-riot charges

By VERENA VON DERSCHAU, Associated Press Writer

Thu Feb 8, 11:13 AM ET

PARIS - A judge in the Paris suburb of Bobigny has charged two police officers
in connection with the 2005 electrocutions of two teens whose deaths sparked
three weeks of rioting in France, officials said Thursday.

The two officers were charged Wednesday for "non-assistance to people in danger,"
which carries up to five years in prison and a maximum $97,400 fine, judicial
officials said on condition of anonymity in line with policy.

-snip-

The Oct. 27, 2005, electrocutions triggered riots that raged through housing
projects in troubled neighborhoods with large Arab and black populations. France's
suburbs remain plagued by poverty, discrimination, tensions between youth and
police and a sense of alienation from French society.

-snip-

Judge Olivier Geron, in his decision, considered that the two officers should have tried
to warn France's EDF to cut the power at the substation or take other measures to
protect the teens.

Le Figaro daily on Thursday, citing judicial sources, identified the two officers
as Sebastien G., 32, and Stephanie K., 29. Both had testified about the case before
Geron in November, along with three other officers.

-snip-

Full article: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070208/ap_on_re_eu/france_suburban_violence

[Kagemusha]

1. Just how long did the cops have to act here?...

It doesn't take long to actually get electrocuted to death so, I wonder what's reasonable here at all. Or, maybe this is just a political thing.

[Eugene]

2. The article says 15 minutes.

There's more detail in the article than copyright limits allow.

[Kagemusha]

3. k, sorry for not following a link thoroughly today.

I can understand a judge being perturbed. 15 minutes is enough time to at least try and fail. Sounds like he decided the cops just figured, 'If they electrocute themselves, not our fault.' In some countries it is your fault if you do nothing though. Esp. for police I guess.

I'll wait and see how this one turns out. It's not like the issue will die soon.