A Luxembourg court's decision to give a suspended sentence to a drink driver who caused a deadly crash in 2021 has sparked public anger, particularly from family members of one of the victims in France.

In November 2021, a drink driver caused a head-on collision on the N31 near Bascharage, resulting in the deaths of three people. The French regional newspaper Le Républicain Lorrain recently reported that the driver responsible walked free from court, sparking outrage among one of the victims' relatives in France.

The incident occurred on 14 November 2021, when a driver, under the influence of alcohol, lost control of his vehicle at night. His vehicle swerved and collided head-on with another car near the Biff roundabout, between Bascharage and Linger.

The crash claimed the lives of a 22-year-old woman from Meuse, her cousin and passenger who died 17 days later in the hospital, and a 40-year-old resident of Dudelange, who was in the backseat of the intoxicated driver's car.

Three years later, on 15 November 2024, the driver faced nine charges, including manslaughter, before the Luxembourg criminal court.

"It's like my sister had been buried a second time"

Although the prosecution requested a four-year prison sentence, the driver was handed a 42-month suspended sentence, a €2,000 fine, and a driving ban, according to Le Républicain Lorrain.

The driver, who had no prior criminal record, was reportedly under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash, with a blood alcohol level of 0.97 mg per litre of exhaled air. Despite this, he was only held in police custody for seven hours before being released.

Further toxicological tests conducted a month later revealed traces of cocaine and tramadol in his hair, though these findings were deemed "non-contributory." A relative of the 22-year-old victim expressed frustration, stating that "the investigation was botched."

Emotions ran high following the verdict. "It's as if she's been buried a second time," said the brother of the young victim, as reported by Le Républicain Lorrain. The paper also noted that the 22-year-old woman, a baker's apprentice, had hoped to start a family with her partner.

The prosecution has until 25 December to appeal the decision. In the meantime, an online petition has been launched, expressing outrage over the ruling. "It's unbelievable, we're devastated! 40 months of suspended prison sentence, not a single day in prison, even though this man destroyed three lives and showed no remorse," wrote the petition's author.