On a summer night meant for celebration, the sky over Cholet was intended to shine with joy, but the fireworks display of July 14, 2022, ended in tragedy, leaving a town forever marked by loss. More than three years later, the tribunal correctionnel d’Angers delivered its judgment: Gilles Bourdouleix, the mayor, along with five others implicated in organizing the event, were condemned for their roles in the deaths and injuries that turned a patriotic spectacle into catastrophe.

The courtroom, steeped in solemnity, bore witness to a careful weighing of responsibility. Each defendant faced scrutiny over safety measures, oversight, and the chain of decisions that preceded the explosion of misfortune. The tribunal found all six guilty of homicides and unintentional injuries, reflecting the gravity of lapses that led to the death of two children and injuries to more than a dozen others.

For the mayor, the sentence was 18 months suspended imprisonment and a €750 fine, mirroring the court’s judgment of leadership responsibility. His deputy in charge of security received the same sanction. The pyrotechnic company responsible for the display faced €100,000 in fines and a permanent professional ban, while its chief pyrotechnician was sentenced to three years in prison, with one year under electronic monitoring, alongside additional fines. Even the event’s organizing association and its vice-president received sanctions, emphasizing the collective accountability that underpins public safety.

The echoes of grief from that night remain vivid in Cholet, where families mourn the loss of young lives and residents wrestle with questions about preventable mistakes. The court’s verdict, while firm, does not erase the past, but it affirms that accountability can coexist with empathy, and that legal acknowledgment of error is a step toward communal healing.

With ten days granted for appeal, the sentences may still evolve, but the tribunal has etched a record that will remain part of Cholet’s collective memory: a sobering reminder of the delicate balance between celebration and safety, joy and responsibility. In that balance, law and reflection meet, offering lessons that extend far beyond a single night or a single town.

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Sources Angers.maville.com La Gazette France Oxygène Radio Alouette Anadolu Agency