Outreau trial

The Outreau trial was a criminal trial in northern France on various counts of sexual abuse against children. The trial and the appeal trial revealed that the main witness for the prosecution, convicted for the abuse, had lied about the involvement of other suspects, who were in fact innocent.

Several innocent suspects had nevertheless spent years jailed on remand and one died while in prison. About: Outreau trial. Images marked as Easy-access downloads are not included in your Premium Access or subscription package with Getty Images, and you will be billed for any images that you use.

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The commission of inquiry is expected to recommend a wide-ranging reform of the French justice system. The Napoleonic tradition of the investigating magistrate may be scrapped, or judges may be assigned in teams.

In future, a judge's "intimate conviction" of a suspect's guilt will not be sufficient. France is likely to move towards the Anglo-Saxon criterion of "beyond the shadow of doubt". February Myriam and Thierry Delay are arrested in the northern French town of Outreau after their four sons tell social workers they have been raped by their parents and others over five years.

Myriam Delay and sons incriminate dozens of others in an alleged paedophile ring. Seven Delay neighbours are arrested in the spring of November Six more suspects - known as "the notables" are arrested, including a priest and a court bailiff. Francois Mourmand, who lived on the same floor as the Delays, commits suicide in prison. December Six more acquittals on appeal. President Jacques Chirac writes individually to the 13 acquitted persons, apologising for "an unprecedented judiciary disaster".

Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin meets the Outreau The National Assembly establishes a commission of inquiry to investigate "the dysfunction of justice in the Outreau affair and the means to avoid a reoccurrence". February 8, Judge Fabrice Burgaud, whose investigation led to the arrests and trials, is questioned in a seven-hour session at the National Assembly.

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