French furor over claims mayor refused burial of Roma baby

French officials voiced disgust today after the mayor of a Paris suburb reportedly refused to allow a dead Roma baby to be buried in the municipal cemetery although the mayor himself later denied the claims. Christian Leclerc, the conservative mayor of Champlan, about 23 kilometres south of Paris, was quoted by Le Parisien daily as saying there was not enough space in the cemetery and the remaining plots should be reserved for local tax payers. However, amid uproar in France over the incident, Leclerc said his words had been “taken out of context” and he had been a victim of the “wrong interpretation”. Leclerc said he was “really sorry” that the story had become such big news and said he would offer his condolences to the family.

At no stage was I opposed to this burial. It’s been blown out of proportion. There was a choice between Corbeil and Champlan. I agreed on Wednesday morning to either scenario. I have a text message proving this.

Mayor of Champlan, Christian Leclerc

Before the denial, Laurence Rossignol, a junior government minister for the family, said on Twitter the refusal was “an inhumane humiliation” for the family, adding the hashtag #honte or “shame”. France’s defender of human rights, Jacques Toubon, said he was “shocked, stunned by the news”. The baby, identified only as Maria Francesca, was born on October 14 and died in the early hours of December 26 from sudden infant death syndrome. The family asked a burial firm in Corbeil-Essonnes to request permission from the authorities to lay the infant to rest but, according to the firm’s manager Julien Guenzi, the mayor refused “without explanation”.

World Roma