In August 2014, Lilian, a 2-year-old boy, died from a piece of sausage stuck in his throat.
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Are Knacki dangerous for toddlers? The Dax Criminal Court (Landes) is examining the question again on Monday June 20, in a new hearing enriched with an expert report. The Herta company is being prosecuted for manslaughter after the death of a 2-year-old boy in 2014, suffocated by a piece of sausage.
The Herta group is attacked by Florence and Vincent Lerbey, for “manslaughter by manifestly deliberate violation of an obligation of safety or prudence” laid down by the Consumer Code, after the death by suffocation of their son, Lilian, during their summer vacation eight years ago.
Lilian’s parents filed a complaint against Herta, asking for the symbolic euro, to prevent the tragedy from happening again. “The goal is to understand. We don’t know if this product is dangerous or not”explains to AFP Philippe Courtois, family lawyer, who puts in parallel the messages of recommendations of “cut (…) into very small pieces” affixed by the mark on the back of the packets to “advertisements from Herta, (…) where you systematically see children with sausages cut in four or in half”. He recalls that cases of choking have already affected other children.
At the end of the first hearing which took place in January 2021 at the Dax Criminal Court, the prosecution requested the release of Herta, considering that it was not necessary “confusing the legal and the emotional”. But the court had ordered an expertise to measure the spongy and sticky character of the Knacki or their swelling in contact with the children’s saliva.
The company and its representative did not wish to speak before the hearing.