This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-humber-63150259
The article has changed 6 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Jessica Lawson drowning: Teachers not guilty over girl's death in France | Jessica Lawson drowning: Teachers not guilty over girl's death in France |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Brenda and Tony Lawson, Jessica's parents, attended the judicial hearing into the 12-year-old's death in France | |
| Three British teachers have been found not guilty of the equivalent of manslaughter by gross negligence after a girl drowned on a trip to France. | |
| Jessica Lawson, who attended Wolfreton School near Hull, had been swimming in a lake near Limoges in July 2015 when a plastic pontoon overturned. | |
| Chantelle Lewis, Daisy Stathers and Steven Layne have been cleared of any wrongdoing. | |
| The lifeguard on duty and the local authority were also found not guilty. | |
| A judicial hearing in France was told 24 children, aged 12 to 17, had been swimming when the incident happened and Jessica was found beneath the pontoon. She later died in hospital. | |
| French prosecutors had recommended Ms Lewis, Ms Stathers and Mr Layne as well as lifeguard Leo Lemaire be jailed for three years. | |
| Stephen Layne (left), Daisy Stathers (centre) and Chantelle Lewis (right) were cleared of wrongdoing | |
| Giving her verdicts through a translator to the Palais de Justice in Tulle on Wednesday, the head of jurisdiction in Tulle, Marie-Sophie Waguette, told the four: "The area was being surveyed by the lifeguard, the lifeguard was present, the flag was green. | |
| "There was not any reason to think that the floating platform could turn over. We don't know why her drowning took place at the time when the platform turned over. | |
| "There is therefore no evidence to show that they were negligent - therefore you are found not guilty." | |
| Jessica Lawson drowning- Teachers felt pain 'similar to family' | |
| Lake death girl's teacher thought pontoon was safe | |
| Parents hope for answers over daughter's death | |
| Earlier in proceedings, Ms Waguette said there should have been a minimum of three chains to secure the pontoon, but a picture shown in court displayed only two. | |
| Jessica's father, Tony Lawson, left the courtroom when the verdicts were announced, with both Ms Lewis and Ms Stathers breaking down into tears. | |
| Follow BBC East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Send your story ideas to yorkslincs.news@bbc.co.uk. |