The coroner overseeing inquests into 30 of the British victims of 2015’s Sousse beach massacre has delivered verdicts of “unlawful killing” for the deaths, but rejected a request from the families’ lawyer seeking a "neglect" ruling.
All parties represented at the inquests agreed previously that a verdict of “unlawful killing” should be delivered for the victims who perished at the hands of gunman Seifeddine Rezgui.
But Coroner Judge Nicholas Loraine-Smith stopped short ruling that the killings were "with neglect".
He said he could not consider that because the law regarding neglect did not cover tourists on holiday.
A key argument of the inquests, which began at the Royal Courts of Justice on January 16, had been if, and how, tour operator Tui UK and the Riu Imperial Marhaba Hotel had acted negligently before the killings.
Families for the holidaymakers had wanted the court to add that the killings were “with neglect”, potentially opening up the possibility of legal action for compensation against Tui.
But Coroner Judge Nicholas Loraine-Smith indicated last week that he would not accept the neglect submission.