Three minors tried for the fire of the “Glass and Steel” buildings

The trial for the fire of the “Glass and Steel” buildings in Rouen took place this Thursday, November 14 at the children’s court. Three minors are currently being tried there behind closed doors, suspected of having set fire to two disused buildings in September 2023. The fire did not cause any casualties.

After two postponements, the trial of the three young arsonists of the “Glass and Steel” buildings, which took place on September 30, 2023 in Rouen, finally took place this Thursday, November 13 at the city’s children’s court.

On the day of the events, around 6 p.m., a spectacular fire broke out in an abandoned building in the Saint Julien district, on the left bank of Rouen, before spreading to a second building. The two sets of seven floors literally collapsed under the violence of the flames. Fortunately, the fire caused no casualties.
These buildings of the “les Pépinières” residence, built on the “Glass and Steel” model, were built in the 1970s, a time when asbestos was a widely used material. Residents then worry about possible contamination of their homes. A few weeks later, around a hundred samples and soil and air analyzes revealed no significant traces.

Less than a month after the events, four minors were arrested, including the three alleged perpetrators. They were identified by investigators thanks to videos shared on social networks. According to the Rouen public prosecutor’s office, the young minors, aged 12, 13 and 14 at the time of the events, admitted to having wanted to start a fire with a can of gasoline that they had just found.

But the building was also probably squatted, and other fires were noted that day. “We have a legal expertise on which we rely which reports other outbreaks of fire, which would be more significant, more serious, more dangerous than the one accused of our clients, it being observed that this is confirmed by the declarations of the firefighters themselves. -themselves. In short, we have enough elements to build the judges’ conviction on a doubt, and it is on this doubt that we will capitalize“comments José Delfon, lawyer for one of the defendants and his mother.
According to the SDIS, Departmental Fire and Rescue Service present on the evening of the fire, the fire actually started from an apartment located on the first floor, and occupied illegally.

The three young people who appear before the Rouen children’s court are today 13, 14 and 15 years old. They are being tried for acts of willful destruction by fire, or any other means likely to create a danger for people.
The question of their responsibilities in the fire arose today in the middle of a battle of experts. The presentation of their personalities helped to clarify certain points. “Adolescents who have erratic behavior will always exist, a need to be intense, transgressive, to recreate all that with images, because it is a question of videos in this case. On the other hand, adults also have a heavy responsibility to ensure that buildings are not dangerous.” defends Olivier Bodineau, the lawyer for one of the defendants and his mother.

The civil parties are the city of Rouen, and the social landlord “Rouen Habitat”. The damage was estimated at 8 million 700,000 euros. Very heavy damage according to the lawyer for “Rouen Habitat”, due to the risks of pollution and measures to secure the site, with significant induced costs, and a real estate operation on this land which is now blocked. The crucial question of compensation arises. “The evidence provided by “Rouen Habitat” makes it possible to demonstrate that yes, a single outbreak of fire is the cause of an arson. Rouen Habitat only wants justice to happen and to be compensated for all its damages” estimates Maître Olivier Bodineau, the lawyer for “Rouen Habitat”.

A new hearing for civil interests will certainly be held next year, and will undoubtedly give rise to a bitter insurance battle.