 Arrival at Belgrade,16th of September of 2009 |  | | Brice and his friends arrived at Belgrade a day before the encounter between Toulouse and Partizan Belgrade to so a little tourism in the Serbian capital. Brice can be seen here with his back to us, at the Kalemegdan fortress. |
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 | | Brice and his friends in Belgrade. |
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 | | Brice in front of the monument dedicated to France in the Kalemegdan park, the day before the violence. |
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The day of the attack, 17th of September, 2009 |  | | One of the last photos of Brice in good physical condition. At the hotel during the morning, a few hours before the attack. |
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 | | The street where the assault took place. A street with a great atmosphere, full of bars, situated around 50 metres from Belgrade's main high street. |
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 | The bar where the Toulouse supporters were attacked by surprise and where Brice was lynched.
After several days the Toulouse fans had begun to meet up regularly after midday in this bar in the city centre. They had even got on well with the bar staff. According to many witnesses, the French fans had not shown the slightest signs of aggression or protest. Some of them even wore the national Serbian football tee-shirts. Only their language could be told apart.
As they were sat at the tables in this café, the French supporters suddenly saw around twenty Serb hooligans erupt from nowhere in a fraction of a second, a genuine "tsunami” according to one witness. Armed with baseball bats, iron bars and burning torches, these “giants” went to take the Toulouse fans by surprise, who weren't in the least bit prepared for such an outburst of violence. In a matter of seconds the blows rained down. We are right in the city centre… |
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 | | When the French were attacked, one of them in particular was going to be made the main target by the hooligans. Brice Taton was going to be taken down by a downpour of hits. His aggressors, who at this point were apparently content with attacking just this young man alone, were going to carry out a terrible mob killing. When Brice had received an incredible number of blows, the hooligans were going to drag him in front of the café, towards the stairs. Without pity, they were then going to throw him from the highest part of the wall where he would fall ten metres. |
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 | One of Brice's friends, who was also savagely attacked.
After this relentless attack the aggressors fled like cowards; having attempted bravely to intervene a Serb who was also a victim. |
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 | | When help arrived, Brice was still concious. |
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 | | The transfer to the stretcher. A look which says it all. |
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 | | Headed towards the main hospital in Belgrade to administer him with first-aid. |
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The day after the agression, 18th of September 2009 |  | Brice, who had simply come to watch his favourite team play and do a bit of tourism, finds himself in a profoundly grave state in a hospital bed, far from his home town and relatives.
Quickly, the doctors are going to realise the gravity of his physical condition. The first analysis reveals an injury to the heart caused by blows by the iron bars to the thorax. They are going to operate on his aorta; an operation after which the doctors realise that “nearly all his vital organs have been damaged”.
His brain also appears to be injured. Fractures to the skull quickly reveal the evidence. His nose is also smashed, with micro fractures detected around his left cheekbone. His rib cage has numerous injuries and his right wrist is fractured. His pelvis is broken and the area around the perineum is gravely damaged.
Brice falls into a coma. |
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19th of September 2009, his parents arrive |  | His parents arrive and realise that their son's life is held in a delicate balance. They are directly received by the French Ambassador and the Serbian Minister of the Interior who show their complete cooperation and that of the services in the affair.
Mrs. Rama Yade learns of the news personally.
By means of a remarkable spur of generosity, the French community in Belgrade then rally up a great deal of support for brice's parents. |
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 | | Brice has to undergo a second medical intervention whose purpose is to drain off blood from the brain and therefore avoid intra cranial pressure after the haemorrhage he suffered. His parents remain at his side the whole time. |
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22nd of September 2009, pulmonary problems |  | | His physical condition deteriorates. Brice's lungs pack up. He remains alive through artificial respiration. |
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23rd of September 2009, Pneumothorax |  | His health declines: a pneumothorax is detected.
The same day, members of the family arrive at Belgrade to support Brice's parents. |
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24th of September to the 28th of September, the decline |  | There is a slight improvement on the 24th, but the following day, on the Friday, everything becomes complicated. Brice falls into an even deeper coma and the doctors struggle to hide their anxiety.
On the 26th, the scanner confirms a negative prognostic.
On the 27th, the medical team show deep concern. The general state of Brice is deteriorating rapidly, all his vital organs are on the verge of packing up.
On the 28th, the doctors give up hope and share their pessimism with Brice's parents. |
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29th of September 2009 |  | At ten o'clock in the morning, Brice's parents have to suffer the pain of watching their son die in front of them despite all the efforts made by the medical team.
His ordeal is over. |
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 | We shall miss you Brice. |
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