At the court in Clermont Ferrand the couple continued to blame each other but the confrontation shed no new light on Fiona's death or whereabouts. There was general disappointment at the end after the FIVE HOUR interrogation at the court. It's the first time Berkane and Cecile have been questioned together.
They were BOTH being interrogated for 'aggravated deathly blows' (I guess that means manslaughter?)
Each didn't deviate from their statements accusing the other, according to Cecile Bourgeon's lawyer, M. Portejois.
"My client repeated that Berkane was responsible for the blows on the Tuesday and Saturday before her (Fiona's) death. Berkane maintains that Cecile hit Fiona the night before her death, while denying that could have been the cause of the child's death."
M Khanifar, lawyer for Berkane, said he judges the 'tone' of Cecile's declarations. " Cecile is a lot less certain, she's more evasive. My client maintains that Fiona died through asphyxiation."
This is stated in the article to be suffocation provoked by Fiona ingesting a drug substitute (methadone?) kept in the flat of the addicted couple. (My note. This is the first time I have seen this theory. I thought Berkane had maintained Fiona choked on vomit after trying to copy Mom's morning sickness?)
The interrogation did not help either of the pair remember exactly where they buried Fiona, which they have said is somewhere in a forest near the Lake of Aydat, about 30km from Clermont Ferrand.
"They are not tryingto hide anything, there is a real difficulty on their part to remember places precisely.
We won't be able to recommence searching.", Berkane's lawyer said.
Cecile has already been back there twice, and has now suggested that she be hynotized, but her lawyer says the technique is not valid/covered by French law. (My note. I don't see what the law has to do with it, or why that should prevent her being hypnotized. If she remembers anything, a SAR team can go check. It doesn't need a court order to conduct a search.)
At the end, the journalist adds all the reasons why Fiona's case can only get more complicated; no body, no autopsy, no cause of death.
I dunno why the fact this horrible pair have admitted they buried Fiona seems to be virtually discounted in the article. I would have thought a confession like that would be a DA's dream in the US.
http://www.lepoint.fr/societe/affaire-fiona-une-confrontation-pour-rien-08-11-2013-1753665_23.php