French state found liable for man’s death in Toulouse attack

PARIS – A French court has found the state responsible for the death of a soldier murdered by an Islamic radical who killed seven people in attacks on a Jewish school and French paratroopers in the Toulouse region in 2012.

An administrative court in southern France said Tuesday the intelligence services made an error in deciding to end any monitoring of attacker Mohamed Merah, just months before the assaults, despite serious suspicions of his radicalization.

The family of one of Merah’s victims, paratrooper Abel Chennouf, filed a complaint to the court and the judges ruled the intel “fault” makes the state liable in his death.

The court sentenced the state to pay some 50,000 euros ($55,500) in damages to Chennouf’s wife, their son and the wife’s parents. More suits could follow.

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