Young French teen has two weeks to pay back $12,500 compensation for hero dad's death

The father of 13-year-old Oceane Herault died last year trying to save a colleague on the boat he worked on who had fallen into the sea. She was awarded a total pension one-off payment of about $6,500, plus $630 a month, paid by a National Marine Association in France, where she lives.

The award was challenged by the boat owner after autopsy results revealed the father, Stephane Herault, had been drinking. Now the State has ordered the teen to repay everything paid out so far, within a fortnight.

Her mom called the decision 'awful' and said most of the money had been put into a bank account as a college fund.

What I can't work out - and the article doesn't make clear - is that if it was the association paying the pension and not the boat owner, why on earth did he appeal the decision? Something's missing from this story.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/wor...ompensation-money-dad-dying-article-1.1995355

Mmm. Well, I tried to read the original article in French. Maybe Donjeta will drop in to confirm, but it seems like the pension is paid by the state and this has been going on for months. Stephane was a merchant marine but he was on a stopover in Cherbourg at the time, in a small boat with his friend. So officially they weren't working at the time. Both Stephane and the man he was trying to save, died. The state org that pays the pension has kindly declared Oceane is 'no longer an orphan' becuase her father had been drinking.

The final demand for repayment has followed an appeal by the boat owner - I think the one they worked on, not the fishing boat they were in? - so I guess the boat owner was paying something somewhere, but again, it isn't clear. Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the state dept that adminsters the payments said he's never heard of the case???

Oceane's father left her only debts, mom says, and they have struggled since his death. What a mess.

http://www.lefigaro.fr/actualite-fr...ande-de-rembourser-sa-pension-d-orpheline.php

Sounds to me like a ''workers compensation'' matter that was appealed by the employer!

Employer may be ''protesting'' that it was not on the clock workwise when the man died.. MOO