Paris (France) (AFP) – The owner of the gîte in Wintzenheim (Haut-Rhin) where eleven people, including ten with disabilities, died in a fire in 2023, will be tried for involuntary manslaughter and involuntary injuries, Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau announced on Friday.
Published on: 06/11/2026 - 22:16Modified on: 06/11/2026 - 22:50
According to the forecast schedule, the trial should take place from January 25 to February 10, she said in a press release, confirming information from Ouest-France.
The investigating judge, in an order dated October 21, followed the requisitions of the public prosecutor's office which, on September 10, had requested "the dismissal of the owner of the gîtes and of the company SASU EDL, manager of the gîtes, of which the owner of the gîtes is the sole shareholder".
They will be tried for involuntary manslaughter and involuntary injury.
Placed under judicial supervision, the owner was the only indictment in this case.
The former mayor of Wintzenheim, a commune neighboring Colmar, and his deputy for town planning were placed under the more favorable status of assisted witness.
On August 9, 2023, ten adults with mild mental disabilities and a companion died during the fire in this gîte. They ranged in age from 23 to around 50 years old.
According to the town hall, the building, an old barn renovated a few years previously, was neither declared nor compliant with standards.
© 2026 AFP
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