Several patients died in circumstances deemed suspicious by their relatives while they were cared for by the same hospital in the Vosges. The establishment claims to have nothing to reproach itself for.
A new complaint has been filed, bringing the total to seven, after the deaths of patients deemed suspicious by their relatives at the hospital in Remiremont, in the Vosges, the public prosecutor of Épinal told AFP on Saturday. , Frederic Nahon.
“I opened four judicial inquiries against X for manslaughter following complaints filed by the family of the victims, involving the hospital center of Remiremont”, detailed the magistrate.
“Another judicial investigation has been opened of the heads of involuntary injuries against X” and “an opening of judicial information of the heads of research into the causes of death has been opened”, he added.
The prosecutor also said he had received “another manslaughter complaint” for which an “opening of (judicial) information is very likely”. “In all, that makes seven procedures,” he summed up.
An 8th complaint in preparation
Me Nancy Risacher, who is following six of the seven complaints, told AFP that she was “drafting” an eighth complaint for manslaughter.
Only one of her clients has so far been heard by the investigating judge, she said.
The lawyer indicates, moreover, to have been contacted by “several other people” and to be examining these files to see if other complaints could come out of them.
The hospital denounces a “media hype”
The hospital’s lawyer, Me Frédéric Berna, deplored the “media hype” around the file, judging “daring to lead a campaign against the hospital when we know the difficulties of French hospitals today”.
“There are internal ‘processes’ (at the hospital) which for the moment show that there are no particular faults and if there are criminal investigations, we will explain ourselves (.. .) serenely in front of the judge,” he added.
At the beginning of January, elected officials from the Vosges had given their support to the teams of the Remiremont hospital center, denouncing “press campaigns” having “targeted” the establishment.
At the end of December, the management of the hospital said it was “sorry about the situation” and had put forward “care according to the rules of the art”. According to director Dominique Cheveau, these complaints will shed light on the facts: “We only ask to understand what happened”.
