Court stands for minute’s silence at start of Tunisia massacre inquests
The inquests into the deaths of the British holidaymakers in Sousse have started at the Royal Courts of Justice, with a huge turnout from the press as well as families and friends of those who died.
Proceedings were marked shortly after 10.30am today with the names of the 38 victims of the attack, including 30 British, read out. There then followed a minute’s silence.
The hearings are expected to last seven weeks, with representatives from the Met and the Foreign Office due to give evidence today. The first witness was Detective Superintendent Mark Gower, senior investigating officer on the inquests team.
The proceedings are being live-streamed to seven regional courts for interested parties who cannot get down to London.
A total of 38 people died on June 2015 when a lone gunman went on the rampage as people were sunbathing on the beach outside the Imperial Hotel, Sousse, then carried on his killing spree in the hotel itself.
The Coroner has indicated all Foreign Office and TUI evidence will be heard this week and the scope of the inquests will include the adequacy of travel advice by travel companies and the Foreign Office.
Law firm Irwin Mitchell is representing 20 families at the inquests. They will be represented in court by Andrew Ritchie QC.
He said families want to know what happened to their loved ones and what advice had been issued to warn tourists of the threat of terrorism in the area.
Three people from Ireland, two Germans, one Russian, a Belgian and a Portuguese woman also died in the attack.
Lisa
Lisa joined Travel Weekly nearly 25 years ago as technology reporter and then sailed around the world for a couple of years as cruise correspondent, before becoming deputy editor. Now freelance, Lisa writes for various print and web publications, edits Corporate Traveller’s client magazine, Gateway, and works on the acclaimed Remembering Wildlife series of photography books, which raise awareness of nature’s most at-risk species and helps to fund their protection.
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