A decade after one of Europe's deadliest terrorist atrocities, the pregnant woman whose desperate pleas for help were captured in a viral video during the 2015 Paris attacks has spoken publicly for the first time.
The Night That Shook Paris
On November 13, 2015, ISIS terrorists carried out coordinated attacks across Paris, killing more than 130 people and injuring over 400 in one of France's bloodiest episodes. The assailants targeted multiple locations including busy restaurants, the Stade de France, and the Bataclan Theatre where American rock band Eagles of Death Metal were performing.
It was at the Bataclan in Paris's 11th arrondissement that Charlotte - who has chosen not to reveal her surname - became the subject of a video seen worldwide, showing her clinging desperately to a window ledge while pleading: 'Help, help, I'm pregnant, catch me if I fall.'
An Unlikely Lifeline
Fellow concertgoer Sébastien Besatti, who was also hanging from the building's facade, made the split-second decision to risk his own life to save hers. Sébastien scrambled back inside the venue to pull Charlotte to safety, an act of bravery that would forge an unbreakable bond between the two strangers.
Speaking to Le Monde, Charlotte explained that while she refused to let the terror attack define her existence, Sébastien had become a permanent fixture in her life. 'The Bataclan is not part of my life, but Sébastien is,' she stated.
Sébastien described their relationship as being 'complete opposites, but she's my sister in arms.' He revealed that hearing Charlotte's pleas compelled him to act: 'I could have held on and stayed hanging outside, but when I heard her, I decided to step in.'
Remarkably, Sébastien admitted that saving Charlotte served his own emotional needs too, telling journalists: 'The act of saving her, I did it for myself. I needed it. It reconnected me with my emotions. I began to understand that happiness lies in sharing.'
Hostage Ordeal and Lasting Trauma
Following Charlotte's rescue, Sébastien's ordeal continued as he became one of many hostages held by terrorists for over an hour after the initial attack. The terrorists appointed him as their spokesman, forcing him to communicate with police who had entered the building.
Sébastien warned officers that advancing would result in captives being killed or beheaded. He later described how the gunmen delivered their justification for the violence, claiming they were responding to Western bombing campaigns in Syria.
The hostages were used as human shields, positioned near doors where French police might accidentally shoot them during any rescue attempt. A tense negotiation unfolded between police and attackers, involving five phone conversations that ultimately proved futile.
Charlotte suffered severe psychological trauma, checking herself into Sainte-Anne Hospital's psychiatric clinic the day after the attack. She endured months of nightmares and panic attacks, finding it nearly impossible to use the Metro or be in crowded spaces.
Even today, Charlotte ensures she leaves Paris every November 13 with her daughter - born seven months after the attack - her husband, and close friends to mark the anniversary away from the city.
The couple properly met a month after the atrocity when Charlotte's husband appealed publicly to identify the man who saved his wife. Sébastien didn't immediately recognise Charlotte, though she knew him instantly, noting he had 'a huge smile, completely out of step with what had happened.'
Charlotte attended just one hearing during the massive terror trial that began in 2021 - on the day Sébastien and other victims gave their testimony.
Justice and Legacy
The three Bataclan attackers - Foued Mohamed-Aggad, 23, Omar Ismaïl Mostefai, 29 and Samy Amimour, 28 - all died during the assault, either by detonating explosive vests or from gunshots that triggered explosions.
In what became France's largest criminal trial, 20 men faced prosecution for their roles in the attacks. The sole surviving attacker, Salah Abdeslam, received a rare full-life sentence after the court rejected his claim that he'd had a change of heart about participating.
Of the other defendants, 18 received terrorism-related convictions while one was found guilty of fraud. Some walked free after being sentenced to time already served, while others received life sentences.
The friendship between Charlotte and Sébastien stands as a powerful testament to human connection emerging from unimaginable horror, a bond forged in the most terrifying circumstances that continues to sustain them both a decade later.
