French prosecutors begin battle to overturn decision to acquit three British teachers over the manslaughter of 12-year-old Jessica Lawson, who drowned in a lake during a school trip

Prosecutors have appealed after three teachers from England were acquitted of the manslaughter of a British schoolgirl who drowned during a school trip to France.

Jessica Lawson, 12, from East Yorkshire, died after a plastic pontoon fell over in a lake near Limoges in July 2015.

A criminal prosecution followed and in October 2022, teachers Chantelle Lewis, Daisy Stathers and Steven Layne – all teachers at Wolfreton School, near Hull – were acquitted on charges of manslaughter caused by gross negligence.

This also applied to French lifeguard Leo Lemaire, who was on duty at the time of the accident in the town of Liginiac.

This led to Jessica’s devastated family complaining about the verdict and saying they wanted someone to be held responsible for the schoolgirl’s death.

On Thursday, Mr Lemaire was cross-examined at the Limoges Court of Appeal after he insisted he was used to seeing the pontoon tip over and that it was not considered dangerous.

Teachers (L-R) Daisy Stathers, Chantelle Lewis and Steven Layne were acquitted on charges of manslaughter caused by gross negligence.

According to court papers, prosecutors want to know why the pontoon on the lake (photo) regularly fell over

“I grew up right next to this stretch of water,” Mr Lemaire told the court. “I can’t count how many times I’ve been there and seen the platform flip over with swimmers on it, and there’s never been an accident.”

A photo of the pontoon full of swimmers was shown in court using a projector, as Mr Lemaire said: ‘Yes, of course, I looked at them, but no one was jostling or shouting more than normal. They laughed, and I had to search the entire swimming area.”

The appeal re-examines the decision to acquit Mr Lemaire, the French local authority responsible for the pontoon’s maintenance, and the teachers.

Only French prosecutors can appeal the criminal aspects of cases, while victims and their families can appeal in civil aspects.

The grounds for the present appeal relate to the maintenance of the tilted orange pontoon and the security surrounding it.

According to court papers, prosecutors want to know why it regularly fell over, why there were only three anchor points and not four, and why there was no limit on the number of people allowed on top of it.

People laid flowers outside Jessica’s school after her tragic death

Jessica’s devastated family lamented the verdict and said they wanted someone held responsible for the schoolgirl’s death.

They also want to know why adults, including teachers, did not intervene when they saw the stage was overcrowded.

Such questions will be discussed at length before the two-day appeal concludes today. A decision will then be made at a later date.

During the original trial, held in Tulle, you heard how Jessica – the youngest student at the prom – was hit in the head when the pontoon capsized.

She was rescued from under the pontoon by the lifeguard and then airlifted to hospital in Limoges, but doctors were unable to save her.

Prosecutors had called for three-year prison sentences for Ms Lewis, Ms Stathers and Mr Layne, as well as lifeguard Mr Lemaire, while all denied any wrongdoing.

Judge Marie-Sophie Waguette said in her ruling at the Tulle criminal court that there was “no evidence that they were negligent.”

Jessica – the youngest student at the prom – was hit on the head when the pontoon (photo) capsized

There were a total of 24 British pupils aged 12 to 17 in the water, along with one teacher, while two others monitored from the shore

There were a total of 24 British pupils aged 12 to 17 in the water, along with one teacher, while two others monitored from the shore.

After the original verdict, Jessica’s sister, Hannah Davidson, 33, was sad: ‘We were hoping this would be the week where we finally had some answers and could start the process of moving on with our lives, but that hasn’t happened. which is impossible to accept.

“Until someone is held accountable for Jessica’s death, we will never be able to come to terms with what happened to her. Under these circumstances it simply cannot be that a young girl, with her whole life ahead of her, has died and that is no one’s fault.’

Mrs Davidson said the legal proceedings devastated her parents, Tony and Brenda Lawson, as they did not get ‘the closure we wanted so badly’.

The appeal continues.