Squatter sues homeowner after he paralysed himself jumping into swimming pool
Brooke Davies
Published Aug 21, 2024, 7:55pm
Updated Aug 23, 2024, 7:43am
A man who broke into a property for a swim is suing the owner after he broke his back and paralysed himself in a botched dive.
The then 18-year-old was taking part in a ‘pool squatting’ challenge in 2022 when he illegally accessed the stranger’s pool in Toulouse, France.
He has taken the apartment’s management company to court under accusations of negligence.
French lawyer Fabien Gaillard told BFM TV: ‘When damage occurs on their property, in this case a swimming pool, the owners must answer to the damage that is caused to the people who injure themselves, even if they entered illegally.’
The owners claim they told the teenager to leave, and the depth of the pool was signed at each end.
Alexandra, one of the owners of the property, told La Dépêche: ‘We’re completely at a loss.
‘We feel sorry for this young man who hurt himself and shattered his life at the age of 18, but he knew not to jump there and he had no business being there.’
She added since they opened their pool six years ago, swimmers had broken in every year to use it.
Anthony, a witness, told La Dépêche the teenager and his friends were jumping around ‘like idiots’ before the accident.
Patricia, a resident of Toulouse, said she had been suffering from pool squatters for year years.
She said: ‘They cut our liner with a cutter two years ago. It cost us 14,000 euros (£12,000).’
Another resident said: ‘A few years ago, one of the co-owners came down to make them leave and he was beaten up.
‘It is common for groups of eight to ten people to make threats. They don’t care much about video surveillance.’
