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Bataclan survivor commits suicide two years after terror attack

The Local France
The Local France - [email protected]
Bataclan survivor commits suicide two years after terror attack
Photo: AFP

A charity that supports victims of the Paris terror attacks has sounded the alarm after it revealed that a Frenchman who survived the Bataclan had taken his own life shortly after the second anniversary of the horror.

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The suicide of Guillaume Valette, aged 31, was announced by the charity 13Onze15 Fraternité - Verité, which was set up to support the victims of the Paris terror attacks.

He took his life on the night of Saturday November 18th, just a few days after France and its president Emmanuel Macron had paid homage to the 130 people killed including 90 at the Bataclan music venue, two years ago.
 
While Paris as a city has been keen to show it has moved on and recovered from that horrific night, for those people who were caught up in the horror it is clearly a far more difficult task.
 
The survivors need help which was the message of Fraternité-Verité in announcing Valette's death.
 
The charity made the announcement on its Facebook page "in agreement with the family" of the victim.
 
"It's with immense sadness that we learned of the death of Guillaume Valette," read the statement.
 
"Guillaume was 31-years-old, he was present at the Bataclan during the terrorist attack and did not wish to be helped by his family, or by one of the victims' associations ("13onze15 - Fraternity and Truth" or " Life For Paris "), he wanted to stay alone.
 
"However, he was being followed by a psychiatrist and a psychologist," read the statement with the charity adding that "the refusal of support was more linked to charities and the family (probably to protect it)."
 
"With the agreement of his family, we must remember how important it is to be aware of the need to be followed, by the family in the first place, by an association, a doctor, a psychiatrist, a psychologist.
 
"The psychological trauma suffered on the occasion of these attacks is profound, it is long-lasting, it must be considered and treated."
 
Charities supporting the victims have regularly made calls to stress how important it is for survivors to be followed by medics and experts who can help them.
 
Some victims refused to take part in the commemorations of the terror attacks earlier this month as they were angered by the decision by President Emmanuel Macron to abolish the role of secretary of state for aid to victims, that had been set up by his predecessor François Hollande.
 
 

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