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French police patrol on the outskirts of Notre Dame Cathedral. (Illustration) STEPHANE OF SAKUTIN / AFP

The trial of "gas cylinders" opened in the Assize Court of Paris; an attempted attack that could have been dramatic on the night of September 3 to 4, 2016 in the Notre-Dame Cathedral district in Paris. A car containing six gas cylinders and bottles of diesel is discovered. The alleged perpetrators failed to fire the vehicle in time to trigger the explosion. Eight people are accused in this case including six women. The two main defendants face the maximum penalty.

They are accused of having attempted together to commit carnage, they are sitting side by side in the box of the accused but have not even exchanged a look. Ines Madani was 19 years old when on the advice of a jihadist party in Iraq, she creates an avatar on social networks; Abu Souleyman, veteran returned to France to sow terror.

It is under this identity that she comes into contact with "sisters". She is looking for accomplices . She then falls on Ornella, 10 years older, married, mother and radicalized.

In her testimony, Ornella says she fell madly in love with Abu Souleymane through their online exchanges, to the point of religiously divorcing her husband. The avatar manages to convince her to organize an attack with her sister. Ines Madani then changes her role to become the sister.

When did Ornella Gilligmann realize that the man she had fallen in love with was actually Ines Madani? The president of the court does not specify but explains that during his hearing, Ornella charged his former accomplice. This will be the object of this trial: to determine the responsibilities. Both young women face life imprisonment