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Prosecutor Seeks Suspended Jail Term and Heavy Fines in Trial Over Boy's 2018 Elevator Death

Expert reports attribute the collapse to a faulty 2015 repair combined with a weak anti‑fall device that allowed an excessive cabin drop.

Overview

  • Ismaïl, four years old, died when the elevator cabin detached at the Côté Seine shopping centre in Argenteuil, an accident that occurred on 8 June 2018.
  • A two‑day criminal trial took place on 17–18 June 2026 in Pontoise and the public prosecutor requested an 18‑month suspended sentence for technician Jean‑Marc H. plus fines of €150,000 for TK Elevator and €80,000 for Bagneux Hydraulique.
  • Court files include expert findings that a 2015 repair to a hydraulic flexible was improperly made and that the fitted anti‑fall system failed, with a counter‑expert estimating the cabin fell about 1.85 metres instead of the roughly 12 centimetres a mechanical stop would have limited.
  • The technician acknowledged making an error during the 2015 intervention, while TK Elevator has denied responsibility, saying the lift met standards and blaming a defective part from another specialist; all three defendants sought acquittal at trial.
  • The mother described eight years of suffering as she seeks answers and recognition of fault, and the case has prompted a parliamentary proposal to make elevator owners automatically liable that remains under consideration in the legislature.