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| Volvo Cars guilty of manslaughter | Volvo Cars guilty of manslaughter |
| (31 minutes later) | |
| Swedish carmaker Volvo has been found guilty of manslaughter after a French court ruled that faulty brakes were to blame for a fatal car crash in France. | Swedish carmaker Volvo has been found guilty of manslaughter after a French court ruled that faulty brakes were to blame for a fatal car crash in France. |
| The driver, Catherine Kohtz, lost control of her Volvo 850 TDI vehicle and killed two children in 1999. | The driver, Catherine Kohtz, lost control of her Volvo 850 TDI vehicle and killed two children in 1999. |
| Ms Kohtz received a six-month suspended jail term, a 300-euro ($446; £224) fine. Her licence was also suspended for a year. | |
| Volvo was fined 200,000 euros, though it has denied the car was faulty. | Volvo was fined 200,000 euros, though it has denied the car was faulty. |
| The accident occurred in June 1999, in the eastern French town of Wasselonne. | The accident occurred in June 1999, in the eastern French town of Wasselonne. |
| "This is a tragic incident for everyone involved," a company spokesman said. | "This is a tragic incident for everyone involved," a company spokesman said. |
| "There was no problem with the brakes." | "There was no problem with the brakes." |
| Volvo's lawyers rejected that the accident was the result of a mechanical defect and are expected to appeal the ruling. | Volvo's lawyers rejected that the accident was the result of a mechanical defect and are expected to appeal the ruling. |
| The car manufacturer, based in Gothenburg, is owned by US car giant Ford, which bought it in 1999. | The car manufacturer, based in Gothenburg, is owned by US car giant Ford, which bought it in 1999. |