Son of ex-hostage in Mali says she wants to be forgotten

The son of a former al-Qaida hostage has struck back at criticism of her decision to return to the West African country where she was held for four years

PARIS -- The son of a former al-Qaida hostage struck back Thursday at French government claims that she has put herself and others in danger by slipping back into Mali, where she was held for four years.

Sophie Petronin's return to Mali has sparked criticism and made headlines in her native France, with the government spokesman this week accusing her of “irresponsibility toward her own security and also the security of our troops” in West African country.

But in an interview with French broadcaster BFM-TV, her son Sébastien Chadaud-Pétronin said the 76-year-old is living extremely discreetly in an apartment in the Malian capital, Bamako. He said she has ventured out just once in six months, to shop and under escort, and has someone with her who watches over her security.

“She is not in the desert,” he said. “She is not taking risks.”