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A French Mayor Is Accused of Refusing Cemetery Plot to a Roma Child A Furor in France Over the Final Resting Place for a Roma Child
(about 2 hours later)
PARIS — A 2-month-old Roma infant was buried on Monday in a town south of Paris amid accusations that the mayor of the nearby town where the baby died had refused burial space in the local cemetery. The episode has prompted anti-discrimination investigations by local prosecutors and France’s human rights ombudsman. PARIS — A 2-month-old Roma infant was buried on Monday in a town south of Paris amid accusations that the mayor of the nearby town where the baby died had refused burial space in the local cemetery. The episode has prompted antidiscrimination investigations by local prosecutors and France’s human rights ombudsman.
The Roma community in France has been under pressure from the government as the authorities and the police accelerate a policy of dismantling encampments across the country. In 2013, the deportation of a Roma teenager, Leonarda Dibrani, created such a furor that President François Hollande intervened. He agreed to allow Ms. Dibrani, but not her family, to return to France. She refused the offer. Other Roma have been attacked near encampments. Last June, a 17-year-old Roma boy was beaten unconscious by a gang of young men in a Paris suburb.The Roma community in France has been under pressure from the government as the authorities and the police accelerate a policy of dismantling encampments across the country. In 2013, the deportation of a Roma teenager, Leonarda Dibrani, created such a furor that President François Hollande intervened. He agreed to allow Ms. Dibrani, but not her family, to return to France. She refused the offer. Other Roma have been attacked near encampments. Last June, a 17-year-old Roma boy was beaten unconscious by a gang of young men in a Paris suburb.
The baby, who was buried Monday, died of sudden infant death syndrome between Dec. 25 and 26 in a shantytown near Champlan, about 10 miles southwest of Paris, according to an association that defends the rights of Roma in the region. The association accused the town’s rightist mayor, Christian Leclerc, of refusing to grant a burial space in the municipal cemetery for the infant. The baby, who was buried Monday and who was identified by the French news media as a girl, died of sudden infant death syndrome between Dec. 25 and 26 in a shantytown near Champlan, about 10 miles southwest of Paris, according to an association that defends the rights of Roma in the region. The association accused the town’s rightist mayor, Christian Leclerc, of refusing to grant a burial space in the municipal cemetery for the infant.
Mr. Leclerc, who is not affiliated with a political party, denied refusing to grant the space and said the dispute was a result of the news media’s mischaracterizing his statements and an administrative bungling of the Roma family’s burial request while he was on leave from town hall.Mr. Leclerc, who is not affiliated with a political party, denied refusing to grant the space and said the dispute was a result of the news media’s mischaracterizing his statements and an administrative bungling of the Roma family’s burial request while he was on leave from town hall.
In a statement on Sunday, Mr. Leclerc apologized to the family and expressed his wish that the baby might be buried in Champlan.In a statement on Sunday, Mr. Leclerc apologized to the family and expressed his wish that the baby might be buried in Champlan.
“I never refused the child’s burial in our cemetery,” he said in the statement, “but as mayor I bear the whole responsibility for the patent blunders that might have been committed in the examination of the burial request.”“I never refused the child’s burial in our cemetery,” he said in the statement, “but as mayor I bear the whole responsibility for the patent blunders that might have been committed in the examination of the burial request.”
Yet the association that was helping the family, as well as the funeral parlor that handled the burial, both say that the Champlan town hall had refused their initial request.Yet the association that was helping the family, as well as the funeral parlor that handled the burial, both say that the Champlan town hall had refused their initial request.
Julien Guenzi, a manager at the Lescarcelle funeral parlor in the town of Corbeil-Essonnes, where the infant was brought to a hospital and declared dead, said he had submitted the necessary paperwork for the burial early last week but was notified by the registrar in Champlan of the town’s refusal. Julien Guenzi, a manager at the Lescarcelle funeral parlor in the town of Corbeil-Essonnes, where the infant was brought to a hospital and declared dead, said he submitted the necessary paperwork for the burial early last week but was notified by the registrar in Champlan of the town’s refusal.
Loïc Gandais, the president of the association that helps Roma families in the area, said the infant’s family had been living for the past year in an improvised camp of 20 to 30 families on the outskirts of Champlan. Most of them are from Eastern Europe.Loïc Gandais, the president of the association that helps Roma families in the area, said the infant’s family had been living for the past year in an improvised camp of 20 to 30 families on the outskirts of Champlan. Most of them are from Eastern Europe.
Mr. Gandais said that while he appreciated Mr. Leclerc’s apologies, he did not believe the mayor’s claims that he had never refused the burial request. “We feel that this is a real will to systematically reject this population,” he said.Mr. Gandais said that while he appreciated Mr. Leclerc’s apologies, he did not believe the mayor’s claims that he had never refused the burial request. “We feel that this is a real will to systematically reject this population,” he said.
Last week, Mr. Leclerc told Le Parisien newspaperthat there were “few spots available” at the cemetery and that plots were expensive to maintain, “so priority is given to those who pay local taxes.” Last week, Mr. Leclerc told Le Parisien newspaper that there were “few spots available” at the cemetery and that plots were expensive to maintain, “so priority is given to those who pay local taxes.”
The comments caused an outcry across the political spectrum.The comments caused an outcry across the political spectrum.
Even Marine Le Pen, president of the far-right National Front party, which has taken tough stances on immigration and illegal Roma encampments, told France Info radio on Monday that the mayor had made a mistake, saying it showed a “lack of humanity.” Even Marine Le Pen, president of the far-right National Front, which has taken tough stances on immigration and illegal Roma encampments, told France Info radio on Monday that the mayor had made a mistake, saying it showed a “lack of humanity.”
On Monday, Eric Lallement, the prosecutor of Evry, the capital of the district that includes Champlan, said he was opening a preliminary inquiry involving possible discrimination. Jacques Toubon, the human rights ombudsman, told the Europe 1 radio station on Sunday that he, too, would begin an inquiry. On Monday, Eric Lallement, the prosecutor of Evry, the capital of the district that includes Champlan, said he was opening a preliminary inquiry involving possible discrimination. Jacques Toubon, the human rights ombudsman, told the Europe 1 radio station on Sunday that he, too, would begin an investigation.
Richard Trinquier, the mayor of Wissous, where the infant was buried on Monday, said he was contacted by the association and immediately agreed to have the child buried there. Richard Trinquier, the mayor of Wissous, where the infant was buried on Monday, said he immediately agreed to have the child buried there after the association contacted him.
Mr. Trinquier said he had spoken by telephone with Mr. Leclerc and did not believe that he had intentionally rejected the burial. But Mr. Trinquier said that mayors were sometimes overwhelmed. Mr. Trinquier said he had spoken by telephone with Mr. Leclerc and did not believe that the mayor had intentionally rejected the burial. But Mr. Trinquier said that mayors were sometimes overwhelmed.
“The mayor is left to confront these problems locally,” Mr. Trinquier said, “because he is the last one down the line.”“The mayor is left to confront these problems locally,” Mr. Trinquier said, “because he is the last one down the line.”