The farmer, 37 years old Cedric Herrou an olive and chicken farmer, was facing a maximum five-year prison sentence and a 30,000 euro ($31,500) financial penalty both for driving immigrants across the border from Italy in his farm truck and lodging them on his premises. Pretre, prosecuting, had asked for an eight-month sentence.
However, in what appears to be a lenient sentence, the judge in the south of France let Herrou off with a fine, which he does not have to pay unless he offends again.
Herrou told French Radio station BFMTV after the sentence:
“Justice is a witness of the dehumanizing conditions people living on the French territory have to cope with everyday. Our politicians, our political representatives, must be responsible for giving a decent welcome to the people that set foot on French soil, whether it is a country, a department, a region, a nation, a continent, Europe must respect human right and the right of children.”
