Ski lift operator guilty of indirect manslaughter of British boy
A ski lift operator in France has been found guilty of the indirect manslaughter of a British boy who died while on a holiday in the Alps.
Fourteen-year-old Kieran Brookes from Devon was strangled when the straps of his backpack got caught as he tried to get off the lift in the resort of Chatel, part of the popular Portes du Soleil ski area.
Richard Cettour, 50, of Bonnevaux, France, who was supervising the lift at the time of the accident in February 2011, was given a six-month suspended sentence.
Cettour was found not to have been at his post when Kieran got caught trying to exit at the top, so he failed to hear other skiers yelling at him to press the emergency stop button.
As a result Kieran was left dangling for four minutes before he could be released, by which time he had sustained a serious brain injury. He died in March in a hospital in the UK.
The firm which operated the lift, SAEM Sports et Tourisme a Chatel, was also accused of indirect manslaughter but was cleared of the charge.
Kieran’s parents have called for lessons to be learned across the industry to prevent a repeat of the tragedy.
"Without widespread improvements across the industry we think a similar tragedy could happen again," they told the BBC.
The family’s lawyer Mark Montaldo, of Slater and Gordon, said: "It has been heart-breaking for Kieran’s family to hear details of the very serious safety failings which led to this tragedy.
"From the outset, Mr and Mrs Brookes have been determined that lessons are learned from this incident.
"They hope that this verdict and sentence will send a powerful message throughout the industry that safety must be paramount."
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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