five years later, four accused including an elected official from the former municipal team

It was only a few days before the anniversary of the disaster that the three investigating judges in charge of the investigation completed their investigations, paving the way for a trial for four indictees, suspected of homicide, involuntary injuries and endangering the lives of others.

Two legal entities are in the sights of justice: Marseille Habitat, the city’s social landlord, owner of the uninhabited building, at number 63 rue d’Aubagne; and the trustee Liautard, manager of the condominium at number 65, where the eight victims lived.

This building had been visited by an expert just a few days before the collapses. This expert is the third accused: he noted a few cracks, but only ordered a partial evacuation, the tenants therefore returned home even though a serious and imminent danger order had just been signed. At that time, the collapses were already predictable, “inevitable” according to the architects commissioned by the courts.

The only elected official indicted is Julien Ruas, deputy for risk prevention under the former mayor, Jean-Claude Gaudin. He claims his innocence, but the courts accuse him of having ignored the alerts: two expert letters already described, several years before the tragedy, the dilapidation, the rot, the subsidence of the building which was still inhabited. Julien Ruas is indicted for involuntary homicide by deliberate violation, involuntary injury by deliberate violation and deliberate endangerment of others. During a possible trial, Jean-Claude Gaudin will only be heard as a witness.