Bernadette Chirac's Brother and Niece Attacked

Is nothing sacred?

Here's a crime that may embarrass the authorities. From Le Parisien:

The brother and niece of Bernadette Chirac (photo), wife of former president Jacques Chirac, were the victims of a violent attack, Wednesday evening around 11:00 p.m. in the Paris metro. They were attacked by a group of eight young people, as the train pulled in to the Champs-Elysées-Clémenceau station.

The two sides apparently exchanged "heated words" until the quarrel ended with punches and kicks. The brother and niece of Bernadette Chirac were assisted by the transport police before being authorized a twelve-day medical work-stoppage. Bernadette Chirac's sister-in-law, also present during the attack, was not injured. Five of the eight attackers were arrested and held in custody.

This is all I know for now. Since Bernadette Chirac is 77, her brother and her niece cannot be very young. I will be interested in the details, if they become public. What started the argument? What was it about? Why were they on the subway that late at night? And what kind of work do they do? How bad were the injuries?

Regarding Jacques Chirac, the only news is that his health is failing, possibly because of the stress of the investigations of which he is the object. Financial scandals involving monetary gifts from African leaders have implicated both Chirac and former prime minister Dominique de Villepin.