Awful murders near Annecy in the French Alps

Crimson, on Sky it said that the cyclist was an ex-RAF man who had alerted the police to what had happened - presumably he was then seen and shot. Mind you, it will be interesting to find out if he is English or French - just goes to show how things get garbled.

Yes. I feel sad for the cyclist too.

A bit like a childs reaction to a house fire, perhaps. In traumatic circumstances children don't behave in an adult way.

I think that was a second cyclist GillieB. He was overtaken by the cyclist who was shot.

Ah, now I understand - thanks J.

Now I really must switch this off and get back to the holiday preparations.

Hardly bears thinking about. How on earth is that poor child ever going to have a normal life ?
You are right crimson children do not behave like adults, sometimes children hide in cupboards when fire breaks out. Why was the elder child out of the car and others inside ? Cyclist probably saved elder child with prompt first aid.
What in God's name is this world coming to ?

It is a very tragic situation, especially for the two children who have to manage their lives after this trauma. I cannot imagine their horror. The French police spokesman on the radio sounded extremely shocked himself at what he had seen.

I do find it odd that so many of us non-experts appear quick to make comments about how things could have been done better...hindsight (along with lack of full facts) are wonderful things! I am sure if errors were made they will be investigated.

I am a little confused. I understand it was a British car so would have had a special seat for a 4 year old. Surely that should have alerted the police to look for a child?

It sounds like it may have been an armed robbery gone wrong

Nanaej they didn't open the doors to check the bodies for eight hours. How could they have known there wasn't still a shred of life left in any of them? Seems they were more taken up with wanting to solve the crime than helping the victims.

JO4 I suspect that the state of the people demonstrated that they were dead. Really there has to be some recogniton of others professional knowledge or i will think you are DM reader

I'm with you on this one jingl lot of gesturing and posing whilst waiting for the experts. The child would hear foreign voices and keep her head down

Careful Jo , racisim et al !!! oerrr

DM reader indeed! We don't all read the Grauniad, nanaej...

In my opinion the ones who are always down on the police are usually the ones who are passive onlookers. Like the football crowds who could all have scored more goals. The French police in a country region are as well trained as any other country police force. This might have been the first time any of them had seen such violence close to and they were probably understaffed for such a crime.
I take it that the four year old girl was afraid to announce she was there- under her mother or father. I hope the sister pulls through then they will have each other.

Maybe, just maybe, the French provincial police were told to keep their hands of the crime scene till the people from Paris arrived?
The way this story is unfolding certainly points towards orders from higher up, I think.
I, myself, would never under estimate the French Police.

Poor, poor children. I thought when I first heard it was another maniac on the loose with a gun, but it looks as if there's more too it and they may have been targeted. It's horrendous.

(I'll be magnanimous and say I'm sure the French police are quite as good as ours. Even though most French would say they are superior.)

Four year olds don't need special seats, only a booster cushion. Not everyone keeps the rules. Some cars carry a child seat or booster cushion but no child.

A little lateral thinking wouldn't go amiss sometimes, grans. Grans don't always know best, especially when they weren't even there.

Let's just wait and see how the story unfolds before criticising anyone.

I am staggered and saddened that such a tragic story could be treated with levity by any Gransnet members.
No, it won't affect my walking in the mountains but thank you for your concern. Annecy is about an hour's drive from here, but in fact Anno and I intend to have lunch their on Saturday. I expect it will be swarming with police.
I don't know why this family were murdered - but I have never heard of random attacks on any car in this area - that happens in Northern Spain, nea I r Barcelona.
I have lived in France since 2002 in many different departments, and everywhere I have been welcomed and treated with kindness and respect. I do not appreciate racist comments about any nation.

Typo - we will have lunch there.

Well said Great Nan

Even in Briatin the police do sometimes not remove bodies from a murder scene until quite sometime after they are discovered. It depends on the situation. This car was in a rural location and they would be unlikely to want to move the bodie after dark because, even with lighting, it would throw deep shadows and they could inadvertently destroy vital forensic information.

jingle I wonder too why they didn't check to see if there were no signs of life in the adults. People are often still alive even when they look badly injured. I also read this morning that the eight year old girl was violently bashed around the head besides being shot in the shoulder. These poor children, the trauma they have endured.

It said on the news that the family had been in the UK for about ten years, came from Iraq.

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

jo It is o.k
No worries!