"The senseless deaths of these two little girls broke our hearts yet hardened our determination to hold responsible the people whose recklessness killed them," District Attorney Jeff Rosen said.
"He stole our lives," said Clotilde "Wendy" Sawadogo, deed theft victim. "We were no longer happy in our house. We were feeling like strangers in our own homes."
The court's decision highlights the leniency often afforded to violators affecting vital freshwater habitats, as fines and costs totaled less than â¬20,000 despite severe ecological impact.