Sentences of up to one year in prison were retained against the officials of the César Palace in Isère.

One of them is notably found guilty of endangering the lives of others by organizing 22 clandestine parties in his nightclub.

A decision that could set a precedent, according to the Vienna prosecutor. 

The note is high for the managers of the César Palace in Isère.

Sentences of up to one year in prison were pronounced Friday by the judicial court in Vienne, in Isère, against the managers of a nightclub which organized clandestine parties in defiance of health restrictions to limit the spread of the coronavirus.

The endangerment of others was retained in the court decision, which is welcomed by Audrey Quey, prosecutor of the Republic of Vienna, who hopes that this case will send a message.

Endangering the life of others retained

"The court, for one of the first times in France, the court accepted the endangerment for this exposure to the virus because of the organization of these clandestine parties. It is important because there is no a lot of case law on endangering Covid ", she explains at the microphone of Europe 1. Considered as the main organizer of the parties at the César Palace and already known to justice, Lenny Romero, 20, was sentenced to one year in prison and a fine of 500 euros, in particular for endangering the life of others.

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His sister, manager of the establishment, who had assured before the judges not to be aware of anything, was sentenced to 8 months in prison suspended and 500 euros fine.

The company was fined 20,000 euros and the seized sound and light equipment was confiscated.

They benefited from an acquittal concerning the prosecution for fraud in short-time working.

The company had distributed some 12,000 euros received from the State over the period, while the evenings would have brought in 1,500 euros each. 

22 parties identified

At the bar of the court, on January 8, the son of the founder of the family nightclub, located in Grenay, had minimized these events, referring to "meetings between friends" in the spring.

Lenny Romero recognized a dozen evenings which he said would have gathered 70 to 80 people at most.

But witnesses say twice as many people and electricity bills recorded 22 consumption peaks between April and November in the nightclub.

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This is what attorney Audrey Quey confirms.

"We had between 100 and 150 people per evening, no respect for barrier gestures, no masks or hydroalcoholic gel: people who were partying in conditions very far from what the recommended barrier gestures are."

This entails "in fact, an endangerment, with a potential circulation of the virus which was extremely important, since we have established up to 22 parties organized in these circumstances", she explains.

Send a message

It was the barman of another closed establishment in the region, having heard about the evenings at the César Palace, who had warned the gendarmes during the night of October 10 to 11.

Their descent, however, did not immediately end the evenings.

These last took place, as elsewhere, in the greatest discretion.

CCTV had been deactivated, photos were prohibited, payments were made exclusively in cash and vehicles were parked out of sight.

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So Audrey Quey hopes the judgment will send a message.

"I really hope that everyone will hear it to avoid this type of reiteration of facts which seem extremely dangerous to me and which endanger people's lives, even if they are not the most exposed to the virus", she asserts.

The lawyers of the two defendants have announced that they want to appeal.