In the packed courtroom of the Marseille judicial court, the pain was palpable. On Monday, July 8, nearly six years after the deadly collapses on Rue d'Aubagne, the courts handed down the first prison sentences. Eight people died in this unsanitary housing tragedy on November 5, 2018, in the heart of the Noailles district. A man collapsed in court, relatives in tears, and a heavy silence fell over the audience. Emotions gripped the audience when Sébastien Ardilly, co-owner of the building at number 65, wavered as his sentence was read out. Three years in prison, including one year under electronic monitoring, for ignoring the warning signs. His parents, also prosecuted, received similar sentences: four years, two of which were suspended, for the father, and three years suspended for the mother. The family's real estate company, also prosecuted, was found guilty.
Owners fully informed of the situation
The court ruled that the owners were "aware of the serious problems" in the building and had done nothing to protect the residents. Among the victims was Ouloume Saïd Hassani, a mother of two, who had repeatedly raised the alarm about the condition of the apartment she was renting. Exposed electrical wires, an unstable ceiling, a worm-eaten floor, and a bedbug infestation were all warning signs that went unanswered. This laxity, according to the court, contributed "indirectly and definitely" to her death. The complexity of the case did not prevent some defendants from escaping punishment. Six were acquitted, including three co-owners of the 65th building and the social landlord of the 63rd building, which was left empty but in a state of ruin. The court also cleared two former executives of this landlord. But others, more exposed, will be held accountable.
Responsibilities scattered but rarely assumed
Architect Richard Carta, who had assessed the building three weeks before the collapse, is being prosecuted for underestimating the risks. Municipal councilor Julien Ruas, in charge of risk prevention at the time, is being tried for failing to initiate the tenant sheltering order. This political inaction was repeatedly denounced by the civil parties throughout the trial. The list of defendants expanded as the proceedings progressed, notably thanks to direct summonses from the civil parties, which allowed several co-owners to appear. In total, 16 individuals and legal entities were tried for involuntary manslaughter or unfit housing. These offenses carry sentences of up to ten years' imprisonment. The public prosecutor himself admitted that the events amounted to a cynical race against time. According to prosecutor Michel Sastre, the owners "played for time" to avoid starting the work, preferring to wait until the last minute, even if it meant risking human lives. Regional councilor Xavier Cachard, the owner and the trustee's lawyer, thus saw the harshest sentence available: five years in prison, three of which were suspended.
As for the city of Marseille, under the authority of Mayor Jean-Claude Gaudin at the time, it remained a spectator to a tragedy that was foretold. None of the warning signals were enough to evacuate the building. And it was only after the disaster that the city hall began to react, under media and popular pressure. Two years later, the ballot box sanctioned this political disaster: the left, environmentalists, and citizen groups wrested the city hall from the right.
Outside the court, the victims' families and groups of displaced people demanded that this ruling set a precedent. Despite the wave of emotion and the promises made after the tragedy, some 200 reports of buildings in danger are still being recorded each month in Marseille. Fear has not changed sides.
