Jessica Lawson drowning: Three British teachers found not guilty over girl’s pontoon death during school trip in France

Jessica Lawson, 12, drowned after becoming trapped when a pontoon capsized during a school trip in July 2015.

(L-R) Steven Layne, Chantelle Lewis, and Daisy Stathers – Photo credit: Sky News

Three British teachers have been found not guilty by a court in France over the death of a 12-year-old girl on a school trip.

Steven Layne, Chantelle Lewis and Daisy Stathers, from Wolfreton School in Willerby, near Hull, were accused of the French equivalent of manslaughter by gross negligence after Jessica Lawson drowned in July 2015.

Jessica, who was the youngest child on the trip, became trapped after a pontoon capsized in a lake near the city of Limoges.

The trio have now been cleared of any wrongdoing by the Palais de Justice in the town of Tulle.

Leo Lemaire, the lifeguard on duty at the time of the incident, and the local authority in the town of Liginiac were also found not guilty.

Earlier, French prosecutors argued the teachers and the lifeguard should be jailed for three years.

Jessica’s father, Tony Lawson, left the courtroom when the not guilty verdicts were announced, with both Ms Lewis and Ms Stathers breaking down in tears.

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