Nearly six years after two-year-old Emran was killed by a collapsing ice sculpture at Luxembourg City's Winter Market, his family says they are still waiting for answers and for the case to finally go to trial.
On 24 November, it will be six years since the tragic death of two-year-old Emran, who was killed when a 2.5-metre, two-tonne ice sculpture collapsed at Luxembourg City's winter market. Around 700 kilograms of ice fell on the boy during an evening at the Winter Market on the Place Guillaume II.
The ice sculptures were meant to bring festive joy to visitors, but tragically collapsed into the crowd, fatally pressing the boy’s head against the fence of the ice rink. Emran later died from the injuries he sustained.
Six years on and the family still has no answers. Questions remain over who is responsible, where the main mistakes lie, and how this could happen. In 2021, the case was expected to be closed, with assurances from the City of Luxembourg that the incident would be handled as quickly as possible.
However, according to Emran's father, Ragbet Hamza, little progress has been made over the past 12 months: "Since last year until this year absolutely no progress has been made as far as our lawyers are concerned, absolutely none. The case remains exactly where it was a year ago, which we find incomprehensible. How can anyone allow this case to remain at a standstill, especially when it concerns the death of a child?"
The family has little understanding for the huge delay: "Overall, it’s simply not right to block the case or even try to block it. To preoccupy the investigating judge with expert reports prior to the trial only served to prolong the proceedings. We just ask ourselves: what's the point? We have to live with this, our child is dead. And yet the other side continues to try to drag it out endlessly."
For the family, it is crucial that the case goes to trial. Not to assign blame, but to understand how such a tragedy could have occurred in the first place. Above all, they want the cause clarified, so that accidents like this can never happen again.
Judicial administration explains delays
In a written statement, Henri Eippers, spokesperson for the Judicial Administration, explained: "It is absolutely understandable that the parents are not satisfied with the pace at which the file has progressed, and that they want to get this part behind them in order to be able to mourn.
"The fact is, however, that we are in a state governed by the rule of law, which calls for a series of procedures and rights for all parties. This is also why there are certain delays. The council chamber of the Court of Appeal, where the file currently lies, is trying to process as many cases as possible as quickly as it can. I can only add that the case is being actively worked on, and a decision from their side will be made within a foreseeable timeframe.
And one also has to take into account how many people will be represented in a public hearing."
