Fiona case: seven years after the tragedy, the fourth trial of Cécile Bourgeon opens

Will this new judicial sequence finally shed light on the death of little Fiona?

Tuesday, the fourth trial of Cécile Bourgeon and her ex-companion Berkane Makhlouf, tried for the death in May 2013 of the girl, begins in Lyon, more than seven years after the tragedy.

This new appeal trial is being held before the Assises du Rhône, after having been postponed in January due to the pregnancy of Cécile Bourgeon, then in May due to a health crisis.

This time, Cécile Bourgeon will appear free. 

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It has been a year and a half since little Fiona's mother left Lyon-Corbas prison, after having served her 5-year sentence, imposed at first instance.

Since then, the young woman has gone to live in Perpignan, near her mother.

She got married and had a new child last February, a baby girl.

The child was immediately placed.

This life "as if nothing had happened" exasperates to the highest point, Nicolas Chafoulais, his former companion and biological father of Fiona.

The wrath of Fiona's father

"For her, there is no problem. Everything is fine, she is in Perpignan to take the pill. In the degree of horror, nothing scares her", he said at the microphone of Europe 1. "Today, she got married, had a child who was placed and that is not a problem for anyone. She has changed planet, it is not possible."

But for Cécile Bourgeon's lawyer, Me Renaud Portjoie, this newfound freedom can change things in court.

"In the eyes of the jurors, that changes everything," he said.

"When you appear detained, between two police officers, in vain you remind the jurors that they must consider her as presumed innocent, in practice it is complicated to project yourself into it. When you appear free, you are in a totally different situation in the spirit of the jurors, I am sure. "

Cécile Bourgeon still faces a 30-year prison sentence.