In August 2021, a 7-year-old girl fell from a zip line in a leisure park near Saint-Cergue (VD). The child, whose vital prognosis was in jeopardy, had notably had both legs broken and suffered from head trauma. This Monday, the Court of La Côte (VD) declared the owner of the premises guilty of serious bodily harm through negligence. As reported by “24 Heures”, he was sentenced to a 60-day suspended fine. He will also have to pay a fine of 600 francs and pay large amounts to the victim, for moral damages.
The defendant, in his sixties, believed he had not violated any safety standards. He had his equipment and his tree climbing installation checked three months before the accident. On the contrary, the Public Prosecutor’s Office and the girl’s parents judged that the tragedy was directly linked to her choice of manually opening carabiners to secure the harnesses. The park has used locking equipment ever since.
Swiss
