Opening of the appeal trial of young Logan, who died during an urbex exploration on the Chais Montaigne site

In June 2015, Logan, a 13-year-old boy, fell to his death on the Chais Montaigne site, an unsecured industrial wasteland. During this trial, the owner and real estate developer of the site must answer for involuntary manslaughter.

The tragedy took place on June 20, 2015. Logan is 13 years old, he plays in this industrial wasteland abandoned since 2006 which has become an “Urbex” or urban exploration site. He climbed onto the roof of a hangar with friends and fell eight meters to his death.

Since that date, his mother Malvina Peyrebesse has continued to fight for the responsibility of the owner and the real estate developer to be recognized. “Nothing has been done on this site even though there have been several accidents previously, unfortunately it took the death of my son for things to move forward regarding industrial wastelands. Everyone knew what was happening. When you are a real estate developer, you know the laws, you are supposed to secure sites.

In 2021, things are changing on the legal front. Malvina Peyrebesse regained hope thanks to the Bordeaux Court of Appeal. The court indicts the owner and the developer and is referred to the Angoulême criminal court after numerous warnings about the dangerousness of the site.

Here are the motivations retained by the Bordeaux investigating chamber: “There are sufficient charges against Mr. Vidalinc and Mr. Arzoz Erreac of having through clumsiness, imprudence, inattention, negligence or failure to fulfill an obligation to caution and safety (…) unintentionally caused the death of Logan Peyrebesse”.

Since the tragedy on June 20, 2015, the teenager’s mother has been waging a long legal battle. After a complaint for involuntary manslaughter and endangering others was dismissed, she became a civil party, supported by her lawyer, Me Béthune de Moro. A dismissal order was issued in March 2019. Contesting the decision, she then appealed, assisted by her lawyer Me Béthune de Moro. During the appeal hearing in January 2020, the public prosecutor’s office confirmed the dismissal of the case for the owners of the wasteland, but nevertheless requested the indictment of the mayor of Angoulême Xavier Bonnefont, for involuntary homicide, considering that he had made a mistake by not issuing a danger order concerning the Chais site.

On July 2, 2020, the judges of the Bordeaux Court of Appeal did not follow the request of the general prosecutor’s office, ruling out the responsibility of the mayor. On the other hand, they ordered the indictment of the owner and promoter of Chais Montaigne, denouncing the “deliberate and constant inertia” of Juan Arzoz Erreca and Bruno Vitalinc, even though they knew that the industrial wasteland “was used as a training ground”. games and adventures. The two men are therefore suspected of having indirectly caused the death of Logan Peyrebesse, which occurred on June 20, 2015.

ALSO READ: Angoulême. Six years after Logan’s death, the developer and owner of the industrial wasteland referred to justice

Maître Lionel Béthune de Moro, lawyer for Malvina Peyrebesse, indicates that “The municipality of Angoulême, which ordered them in January 2015, six years before the accident, could not issue a danger order, because it was a property without the risk of the building falling onto the public highway. But what is certain is that there had been electrocutions, a building left free of access, you can jump a fence, go through a hole, but you have lots of buildings which are walled up and you cannot can’t go inside”.

Before the criminal court, the two defendants will answer for involuntary homicide. Ten years after the events, the promoter and owner of Chais Montaigne were finally indicted by the Bordeaux Court of Appeal.