A key witness who helped find the mastermind behind the deadly November 2015 Paris attacks has had more than EUR 465,000 raised in her name, but she cannot access a single euro of it due to state bureaucracy.
“Sonia”, a key witness who helped authorities track down the 13th November attackers, was forced to change her identity and go into hiding after tipping off police about terror ringleader Abdelhamid Abaaoud.
The attacks were a series of coordinated terrorist assaults carried out by Islamic State militants across Paris and its suburb Saint Denis, targeting the Bataclan concert hall, cafes and restaurants, and the Stade de France, killing 130 people and injuring hundreds more in one of the deadliest attacks on French soil since World War II.
Picture shows the TV mini series "November 13 - Sonia's choice", undated. Note: Image is a screenshot from website. (IMDB/Newsflash)
The fundraiser for Sonia was launched on 10th December 2025 following the broadcast of the docu-fiction 'Le Choix de Sonia' (Sonia's Choice) by France Televisions, which retraced her life after she was forced to change her identity following her collaboration with the authorities.
The fund was initially due to close on 1st February, but was extended after donations continued to pour in.
More than 10,600 donors have contributed to help her cover the costs imposed by her new life and to thank her for her actions.
According to Arthur Denouveaux, president of the victims' association Life for Paris, the French government has yet to create a secure bank account to receive and transfer the money.
Sonia's lawyer, Samia Maktouf, said the authorities feared that transferring the funds could endanger her because her new identity is kept secret.
She said that Sonia was not being helped by the authorities despite being granted protected witness status after her cooperation with investigators.
Picture shows the actress playing Sonia at the TV mini series "November 13 - Sonia's choice", undated. Note: Image is a screenshot from video. (Newsflash)
Sonia had encountered the coordinator of the terrorist attacks, Abdelhamid Abaaoud, on 15th November 2015, while he was being housed by her cousin, and she alerted the authorities.
Her testimony allowed the authorities to launch a raid in Saint Denis in the French department of Seine-Saint-Denis, during which Abaaoud and two accomplices were killed.
Months later, the authorities placed her under protected witness status, requiring a complete change of administrative identity and a break with her previous social and professional life.
According to her lawyer, she currently lives on about EUR 1,500 (GBP 1,280) per month in allowances to support a household of four people and cannot work because she is under threat.
Her lawyer said that she had taken out loans that were accumulating while the donated money remained inaccessible.
The authorities have also reportedly suggested that her financial support payments could be reduced in view of the amount of donations that have been collected.
It has further warned that if the funds are eventually transferred, she could have to pay tax on the donations.
In the aftermath of 13th November 2015, the terrorists responsible for the attacks on Parisian cafes were on the run. At great personal risk, Sonia helped the police locate and neutralise them.
Through her courage, this mother saved lives, but also condemned herself to changing her identity to escape reprisals from the Islamists. "November 13, Sonia's Choice" blends documentary and fiction to tell this extraordinary story.
The docu-fiction was a success, generating renewed interest in Sonia, who said: "When I denounced the perpetrators of the 13th November attacks, I did not do it to be glorified, to be considered a heroine. I did it in good conscience."
She also said that she did nothing more than "my duty as a citizen."
Despite the ongoing blockage on the funds, donations of around EUR 1,000 (GBP 853) per day have continued, and the fundraiser remains open after supporters asked to make monthly contributions.
Arthur Denouveaux said it would make no sense to prevent people from giving and to prevent Sonia from receiving the funds intended for her.
(Joe Golder/Newsflash)