AND HERE IS THE NEWS….
A weekly update of the local news in the Pyrenees-Orientales
WITH CAROLINE HILL
SUNDAY 19TH MAY 2013
Accident at Palais des Expositions – A 30-year old workman, part of a team working on taking down the recent FOIRE-EXPO exhibition in Perpignan, fell a dozen metres when the hydraulic platform he was on suddenly reversed. He suffered multiple fractures and a head trauma and was evacuated to Perpignan hospital in a ‘serious condition’.
Teacher accused of rape – The trial has opened of a 50-year old maths teacher accused of rape and attempted rape of a 16-year old pupil in 1999. The hearing is set to last for several days.
Hunger strike continues – Annie Marciniak, originally from Perpignan but now living in Paris continues her hunger strike in an attempt to bring media attention to the ‘Justice for All’ campaign.
Attempted suicide in Le Soler – A patient in his 70s threw himself out of a care-home window. He was saved because he landed on vegetation in the garden but was taken to hospital, gravely injured.
Rocks thrown at Ambulance – A Samu ambulance on a call-out to a mentally ill patient in Haut Vernet was pelted with stones by a crowd of students from La Cité Diaz. One of the stones hit a policeman in the eye causing serious injury, for which he was taken to hospital for treatment.
France to blame for TGV delay – The Spanish have publicly claimed that France is to blame for the delays in the opening of the new TGV route to Barcelona. The first direct train will run on 25th August – nearly at the end of the holiday period.
Homosexual website predator – A 21 year old man has been sentenced to jail for robbing young men who he contacted through a dating website. When each victim arrived for the meeting, they were surprised to find 3 men waiting, who then threatened them by holding a screwdriver to their neck and robbed them of jewellery and credit cards.
Gran Jonquera Shopping Outlet opens – On Thursday 16th May the enormous new Shopping Centre opened its doors to the public. Open 7 days out of 7 it offers 12,000m2 of shops, with parking for 1000 cars.
Five injured in car crash – A group of 5 friends (aged from 18 – 25 years) from the Prades area were seriously injured when the driver lost control on a bend on the RN116 outside Sainte-Léocadie. The car left the road with such force that a wooden telephone pole was completely broken. One of the victims had to be cut out of the vehicle and 3 of them were helicoptered to hospital. An enquiry has opened into the circumstances.
It’s still snowing – The Cerdagne and Capcir region is covered in fresh snow as the temperatures hover near zero degrees. Almost unprecedented after Mid-May. Floods are likely when the thaw finally happens.
And finally …..
Toboggan accident – No, not due to the snow this time but apparently the sloping slipway near the leisure centre in Canet is known locally as The Toboggan. A young lady driver, approaching from the Perpignan direction, lost control of her vehicle which completely overturned and landed on its roof. The driver was taken to hospital complaining of back pains.
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