Thursday, March 28

‘Murdered by indifference’: France shocked by death on busy Paris street | France


The death of an 85-year-old man who reportedly succumbed to hypothermia after falling and spending nine hours lying ignored on a bitterly cold street in central Paris has sparked pain, anger and disbelief in France and beyond. .

René Robert, a Swiss photographer known for his photographs of some of Spain’s most famous flamenco stars, he died last week after slipping on one of his nightly strolls through the crowded Paris neighborhood where he lived.

According to his friend the journalist Michel Mompontet, Robert fell on Rue de Turbigo, between Place de la République and Les Halles.

“He suffered dizziness and fell,” Mompontet said in a series of tweets. “Unable to get up, he remained pinned to the ground for nine hours until a homeless man called emergency services. Too late. He was hypothermic and couldn’t cling to life. During those nine hours no passerby stopped to check why this man was lying on the sidewalk. Not one.”

Mompontet, who also recounted the circumstances of his friend’s death on France TV Info, said that Robert had been “killed by indifference”, adding: “If this horrible death could serve any purpose, it would be this: when a human lies on the floor”. pavement, we must control them, no matter how busy we are. Let’s stop for a second.”

Mompontet noted that many people, including himself, often looked the other way when it came to people on the street. “Before teaching a lesson or accusing someone, I need to deal with a small question that bothers me”, the journalist he told France TV Info. “Am I 100% sure I would have stopped if I was faced with that scene: a man on the ground? Have I never turned my back on a homeless person lying in a doorway?

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The death, which occurred in an area of ​​Paris where many homeless people sleep rough, has sparked a debate about civic responsibility and basic human decency.

a holder in Le Figaro read:: “The photographer René Robert, died in the indifference of the middle of the street.”

The Embassy of Spain in the Netherlands tweeted:: “The death of René Robert, who immortalized all the great flamenco artists with his camera, challenges our collective conscience”.

Robert, who photographed flamenco legends such as Camarón de la Isla or Paco de Lucía, was remembered for another of his most recent models.

“Very saddened by the loss of René Robert, who I was lucky enough to meet and be photographed with,” said Grammy-winning flamenco singer Arcángel. “I can’t understand why no one helped him; I don’t want to think that we live in a society with so few values”.

The Olivar Association, which has worked with homeless youth in Madrid for more than 30 years, said it was sad but not surprised. “Many people are talking about the terrible story of René Robert,” he said in a tweet. “But the reality is that this is the cruel day-to-day experience of those who live and die on the streets. What is happening to us as a society so that something like this can happen?

According to associations of homeless people, 600 people die on the streets of France every year.




www.theguardian.com

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