Woman who lied about being a victim of Paris terror attacks to bag compensation is facing five years in jail
The 25-year-old claimed she deserved £16,000 after suffering miscarriage following blast at cafe
A TWISTED WOMAN was today facing up to five years in prison for pretending to be a victim of the Paris terror attacks - in order to bag thousands in compensation.
The 25-year-old French citizen, who cannot be named for legal reasons, claimed she was badly hurt when an Islamic State cell struck on November 13 last year, murdering 130 people.
She said she was in the Carillon bar, one of the first places hit by the Kalashnikov-wielding suicide bombers.
The woman, from the Paris suburb of Conflans-Saint-Honorine, said she deserved up to £16,000 pounds compensation for a wounded arm.
A month after the attacks, she approached police, saying she had also suffered a miscarriage because of a bomb blast, and even presented a medical certificate supporting her claim.
In fact no bomb actually went off at the Carillon – all of the 15 killed were hit by machine gun fire.
Despite this, the woman presented photos downloaded from the internet that showed burn wounds which she claimed as her own.
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Medical examination proved “the absolute charade” said an investigator from the Versailles judicial police, who said the woman was soon arrested.
She was also found to be pregnant at the time of the investigation, proving that she had not suffered a miscarriage.
The defendant has already pleaded guilty to fraud at the Versailles Criminal Court, where she faces a five-year sentence and a fine of up to £300,000 on Monday.
She has since given birth, and will be sentenced alongside the doctor who forged the medical certificate used in the attempted deception.
A parliamentary enquiry is currently underway in Paris into the November 13 attacks, which saw bars, restaurants, the Bataclan music venue, and the Stade de France all hit.
Modest preliminary sums have been paid to victims’ families, and these sums are expected to increase once the conclusions of the enquiry are published.
Many have criticised the French government for not providing adequate security, and for allowing known extremists to travel freely across Europe and amass arms, without surveillance.
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