It is a massive blow for the former mayor of La Faute-sur-Mer, Vendee, and for his former first deputy in charge of urban planning. René Marratier was sentenced to four years in prison, Françoise Babin two years' imprisonment and a 75,000 euro fine. These penalties are higher than a year to those that had been requested by the prosecutor after the Xynthia trial held at the Criminal Court of Sables d'Olonne following the death of 29 people during the storm Xynthia in 2010. The son of Françoise Babin, Philip, for his part, was sentenced to eighteen months imprisonment.
The court found that at the time they were in business, elected officials were fully aware of the risk of flooding in the small seaside town of La Faute-sur-Mer but had the "hidden intentionally" for, as pronounced judgment, "not to hinder the financial windfall that represented the urbanization". René Marratier said he was "appalled" by the verdict, saying he was a "lamplighter" in this case. The defendants' lawyers said they were going to immediately appeal. "We are shocked and outraged by this political judgment, stated Mr Didier Seban, judgment ignores mistakes that were committed by the state."
