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| Paraplegic Girl Attacked by Rats in France, Spurring an Investigation | |
| (about 7 hours later) | |
| PARIS — A 14-year-old girl, described as a paraplegic by her father, was so badly bitten by rats as she slept one night this month that her family says she was bleeding from her ears as well as her fingers, toes and much of her body. | PARIS — A 14-year-old girl, described as a paraplegic by her father, was so badly bitten by rats as she slept one night this month that her family says she was bleeding from her ears as well as her fingers, toes and much of her body. |
| As news of the case has spread well beyond the girl’s hometown, Roubaix, in northern France, just a few minutes from Lille, so, too, have accusations of insufficient garbage pickup in the neighborhood where she and her family lived. | As news of the case has spread well beyond the girl’s hometown, Roubaix, in northern France, just a few minutes from Lille, so, too, have accusations of insufficient garbage pickup in the neighborhood where she and her family lived. |
| The public prosecutor has opened an investigation but beyond verifying that the bites were from rats has not described the inquiry. The prosecutor’s office said it was looking into “involuntary wounds caused by a lack of prudence and security and inhumane housing conditions.” | The public prosecutor has opened an investigation but beyond verifying that the bites were from rats has not described the inquiry. The prosecutor’s office said it was looking into “involuntary wounds caused by a lack of prudence and security and inhumane housing conditions.” |
| The girl was treated in a hospital in Roubaix, which refused on Saturday to release any information about what happened to her, or about her condition. | The girl was treated in a hospital in Roubaix, which refused on Saturday to release any information about what happened to her, or about her condition. |
| Roubaix is a onetime factory town that was known for its textile manufacturing, but it now has a high number of unemployed people and ranks among France’s poorest communities. | Roubaix is a onetime factory town that was known for its textile manufacturing, but it now has a high number of unemployed people and ranks among France’s poorest communities. |
| The girl’s family, which has not been identified by name in news reports, has since been relocated to another house in Roubaix. However, their former neighbors say that the area is usually clean and that they have not seen rats around. Still, they say, there has been a recent problem with waste management. | The girl’s family, which has not been identified by name in news reports, has since been relocated to another house in Roubaix. However, their former neighbors say that the area is usually clean and that they have not seen rats around. Still, they say, there has been a recent problem with waste management. |
| “We’ve always had problems with the cans,” said Cédric Decool, a resident of the housing complex where the family had lived. “But rats? Never. This is such a bad and sad story.” | “We’ve always had problems with the cans,” said Cédric Decool, a resident of the housing complex where the family had lived. “But rats? Never. This is such a bad and sad story.” |
| The girl’s father charged in a video published online by La Voix Du Nord, a local news outlet, that garbage had not been picked up for six weeks and that he had lodged complaints with the housing complex’s management. | The girl’s father charged in a video published online by La Voix Du Nord, a local news outlet, that garbage had not been picked up for six weeks and that he had lodged complaints with the housing complex’s management. |
| City officials, the management company for the complex and residents gathered on Friday for an unusual meeting focused on the garbage issue, neighbors said. | City officials, the management company for the complex and residents gathered on Friday for an unusual meeting focused on the garbage issue, neighbors said. |
| The girl had an extraordinary number of bites, according to her father, who described finding her at 7 a.m. on Sept. 2 with blood coming out of her ears and fearing, initially, that there had been a robbery. He said she had not cried out because her medical condition meant that she probably had little sensation when bitten. | The girl had an extraordinary number of bites, according to her father, who described finding her at 7 a.m. on Sept. 2 with blood coming out of her ears and fearing, initially, that there had been a robbery. He said she had not cried out because her medical condition meant that she probably had little sensation when bitten. |
| Her father said in the video that she had bled so badly that two ambulances were called to the scene. | Her father said in the video that she had bled so badly that two ambulances were called to the scene. |
| The girl’s family lived in one of a group of houses surrounding a courtyard. Although the courtyard was surrounded by a metal fence, the gate was often open and some neighbors left their garbage there, neighbors said. | The girl’s family lived in one of a group of houses surrounding a courtyard. Although the courtyard was surrounded by a metal fence, the gate was often open and some neighbors left their garbage there, neighbors said. |