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| French Alps shootings: four-year-old girl to return to Britain | French Alps shootings: four-year-old girl to return to Britain |
| (25 days later) | |
| The younger daughter of a British couple murdered while on holiday in the French Alps is expected to begin the journey back home on Sunday. | The younger daughter of a British couple murdered while on holiday in the French Alps is expected to begin the journey back home on Sunday. |
| Four-year-old Zeena al-Hilli was the only member of her family to escape the killing unscathed after hiding in the rear footwell of the car where the bodies of father Saad, mother Iqbal and an elderly woman were shot dead on Wednesday at a beauty spot near Lake Annecy. | Four-year-old Zeena al-Hilli was the only member of her family to escape the killing unscathed after hiding in the rear footwell of the car where the bodies of father Saad, mother Iqbal and an elderly woman were shot dead on Wednesday at a beauty spot near Lake Annecy. |
| The petrified child had taken refuge under her dead mother's legs and lay undiscovered for eight hours after the killings. She has been questioned gently by French gendarmes over the last few days at the hospital. She was put in the care of a nurse and a child psychologist, and had round-the-clock attention from a team from the British embassy. Apart from hearing "noises and cries", the public prosecutor Eric Maillaud said she had seen nothing and was unable to help the inquiry. | The petrified child had taken refuge under her dead mother's legs and lay undiscovered for eight hours after the killings. She has been questioned gently by French gendarmes over the last few days at the hospital. She was put in the care of a nurse and a child psychologist, and had round-the-clock attention from a team from the British embassy. Apart from hearing "noises and cries", the public prosecutor Eric Maillaud said she had seen nothing and was unable to help the inquiry. |
| "The most important thing is to get her back to her family," he said. "She has been interviewed but we have tried to avoid causing her any further suffering." | "The most important thing is to get her back to her family," he said. "She has been interviewed but we have tried to avoid causing her any further suffering." |
| The victims, who included a passing French cyclist, were each shot twice in the head with an automatic pistol, suggesting an assassination. French investigators say they are still trying to establish if there was more than one killer and how many weapons were used; around 25 bullet casings were found in and around the family's car. A source said initial forensic and ballistic tests suggested at least two armed gunmen had fired from outside the vehicle at close range. | The victims, who included a passing French cyclist, were each shot twice in the head with an automatic pistol, suggesting an assassination. French investigators say they are still trying to establish if there was more than one killer and how many weapons were used; around 25 bullet casings were found in and around the family's car. A source said initial forensic and ballistic tests suggested at least two armed gunmen had fired from outside the vehicle at close range. |
| "The investigation has to be the priority now. We are not going to release any details or information that might enable the perpetrators of this savage attack to escape. My only aim is to see those perpetrators caught and jailed," Maillaud said. | "The investigation has to be the priority now. We are not going to release any details or information that might enable the perpetrators of this savage attack to escape. My only aim is to see those perpetrators caught and jailed," Maillaud said. |
| He admitted that hopes of solving the case now rest with Zeena's seven-year-old sister, Zainab, who had been travelling in the front passenger seat of the car. She was outside the vehicle parked at the start of a mountain hiking trail near the village of Chevaline, at the time of the attack. She has been described by French investigators as the key witness. Zainab was left for dead at the scene after being shot in the shoulder and subject to a violent beating about the head, which fractured her skull. | He admitted that hopes of solving the case now rest with Zeena's seven-year-old sister, Zainab, who had been travelling in the front passenger seat of the car. She was outside the vehicle parked at the start of a mountain hiking trail near the village of Chevaline, at the time of the attack. She has been described by French investigators as the key witness. Zainab was left for dead at the scene after being shot in the shoulder and subject to a violent beating about the head, which fractured her skull. |
| She was found by a British cyclist, who arrived moments after the killings. French investigators praised his "exemplary" reaction in placing the critically injured girl in the recovery position and calling the emergency services. The Briton, a former RAF pilot, who has a house in the region, was also profoundly shocked to discover the body of a French cyclist, father-of-three Sylvain Mollier, who had overtaken him on the road to the beauty spot, and was gunned down after apparently witnessing the bloodshed. | She was found by a British cyclist, who arrived moments after the killings. French investigators praised his "exemplary" reaction in placing the critically injured girl in the recovery position and calling the emergency services. The Briton, a former RAF pilot, who has a house in the region, was also profoundly shocked to discover the body of a French cyclist, father-of-three Sylvain Mollier, who had overtaken him on the road to the beauty spot, and was gunned down after apparently witnessing the bloodshed. |
| Zainab al-Hilli has been under armed guard in intensive care in hospital at Grenoble since Wednesday and has undergone surgery. Doctors said her life was no longer in danger, but she is in a medically induced coma to aid her recovery. | Zainab al-Hilli has been under armed guard in intensive care in hospital at Grenoble since Wednesday and has undergone surgery. Doctors said her life was no longer in danger, but she is in a medically induced coma to aid her recovery. |
| Maillaud described Zainab's survival as a miracle and said it was "out of the question" for investigators to interview her until her condition improved. "We cannot go in a precipitative manner to interview someone who has been injured and traumatised," he said. | Maillaud described Zainab's survival as a miracle and said it was "out of the question" for investigators to interview her until her condition improved. "We cannot go in a precipitative manner to interview someone who has been injured and traumatised," he said. |
| Earlier Maillaud admitted: "We feel desperately sorry for her (Zainab) and it is terrible that a victim, especially a child has to be a key witness and has to be asked questions, that will inevitably cause her even more suffering. But we hope she will be able to tell us something, but it will be difficult." | Earlier Maillaud admitted: "We feel desperately sorry for her (Zainab) and it is terrible that a victim, especially a child has to be a key witness and has to be asked questions, that will inevitably cause her even more suffering. But we hope she will be able to tell us something, but it will be difficult." |
| On Sunday, detectives were examining the caravan in which the family had been staying since 3 September at the Le Solitaire du Lac campsite on the banks of Lake Annecy. The vehicle was towed away from the site for forensic examination on Saturday. | On Sunday, detectives were examining the caravan in which the family had been staying since 3 September at the Le Solitaire du Lac campsite on the banks of Lake Annecy. The vehicle was towed away from the site for forensic examination on Saturday. |
| French investigators are examining two mobile phones found in the Hilli's BMW estate car and are co-ordinating with police forces across the borders in Italy and Switzerland. | French investigators are examining two mobile phones found in the Hilli's BMW estate car and are co-ordinating with police forces across the borders in Italy and Switzerland. |
| Relatives, identified only as "an aunt and an uncle" travelled to Annecy at the weekend to see Zeena. They are expected to bring the girl back to Britain on Sunday. The French authorities refused to give further details for security reasons. | Relatives, identified only as "an aunt and an uncle" travelled to Annecy at the weekend to see Zeena. They are expected to bring the girl back to Britain on Sunday. The French authorities refused to give further details for security reasons. |
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