Johanna LianderA Belgian woman who disappeared fourteen years ago after scamming her neighbors, has been living and working in France for years. “I made a stupid mistake when I was young.”
Aurélie L., now 37, was convicted in absentia in Belgium in February 2015 for embezzling almost 7,000 euros. The money had been collected in 2011 by her neighbours from Ruette (province of Luxembourg) with the help of a spaghetti feast, so that the woman could go to Canada to be treated for bone marrow cancer. However, it turned out to be a fabrication.
There, she had run a restaurant with her partner, a chef, for a long time. In April, however, the case was closed when the couple clashed with the French court after a dispute with the previous owners of the building. All this time, the woman had hidden her real family name – by replacing a letter or using that of her partner – but the truth came to light through the trial.
Officially Missing
Although she was officially missing, the woman has appeared in the local media several times in recent years, including to show her work as an artist and with her and her husband’s restaurant. Before settling in Condrieu, the woman had also worked in the catering industry of a French ski resort and in Nice.Despite her conviction, the woman will not be extradited to Belgium. Her conviction (up to a year in prison and a fine of 2,750 euros) has expired since May 2020. “I had a difficult childhood,” the woman told George V Magazine. “I made a stupid mistake when I was young, but I want to put that behind me now.”
Johanna Liander
Sophie Rosemont
Alexis Parker
Amandine Lhoste