- Title: FRANCE: French court closes controversial body exhibition
- Date: 22nd April 2009
- Summary: PARIS, FRANCE (APRIL 21, 2009) (REUTERS) VARIOUS EXTERIORS OF 'OUR BODY' EXHIBITION EXHIBITION POSTER SHOWING CADAVER OUTSIDE EXHIBITION HALL EXTERIOR OF FRENCH COURT HOUSE OFFICE OF ANTI-DEATH PENALTY ORGANISATION, "ENSEMBLE CONTRE LA PEINE DE MORT" "ENSEMBLE CONTRE LA PEINE DE MORT" LOGO ON OFFICE WALL CÉCILE THIMOREAU, DIRECTOR, ENSEMBLE CONTRE LA PEINE DE MORT (SOUNDBITE) (French) CÉCILE THIMOREAU, DIRECTOR, ENSEMBLE CONTRE LA PEINE DE MORT, SAYING: "Our opponents were not able to prove where these bodies came from. They are all young males, and some of them show signs of bullet wounds to the head. We think we are dealing with a major trafficking of men who were condemned to death. It was all designed to appeal to the voyeuristic interests of a public that wants to see the inside of a body. I am sorry, but we cannot accept that." PEOPLE ENTERING EXHIBITION VARIOUS OF EXHIBITION WITH FLAYED CADAVERS IN A VARIETY OF POSES TWO WOMEN EXAMINING A CADAVER ISOLATED HAND AND FOOT YOUNG BOY LOOKING AT CADAVER MORE OF VISITORS LOOKING AT CADAVERS WOMAN LEAVING EXHIBITION PASCAL BERNARDIN, EXHIBITION ORGANISER, SPEAKING WITH PEOPLE OUTSIDE (SOUNDBITE) (French) PASCAL BERNARDIN, 'OUR BODY' EXHIBITION ORGANISER, SAYING: "I am totally shocked. I think it is ridiculous, incredible. The judge did not base his decision on the law. He made an almost ecclesiastical decision by saying that the only place for a cadaver is in a cemetery, which raises thousands of questions. This is not the only exhibition to show human bodies, which we call specimens. There are mummies on display all over the place. Of course we will appeal tomorrow morning." RICHARD SÉDILLOT, ATTORNEY FOR THE ECPM (SOUNDBITE) (French) RICHARD SÉDILLOT, ATTORNEY FOR THE ECPM, SAYING: "The appeals court will rule again, like the first judge did. I am not very worried. I think that the principles evoked have been violated to such a degree that I am totally confident that the appeals court will uphold the decision." PEOPLE ENTERING EXHIBITION PEOPLE WAITING IN LINE TO ENTER
- Embargoed: 7th May 2009 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: France
- Country: France
- Topics: Legal System,Lifestyle
- Reuters ID: LVA8GLMD0TU82N0FG870J524F1OO
- Story Text: A French judge ruled on Tuesday (April 21) that an exhibition of human bodies at a Paris museum was indecent and must be shut down.
The "Our Body" show features several cadavers that have been flayed to reveal the internal workings of a body.
Two French human rights groups took the organisers of the exhibition to court, repeating accusations from previous such shows that the unidentified bodies might have been Chinese execution victims.
"Our opponents were not able to prove where these bodies came from. They are all young males, and some of them show signs of bullet wounds to the head. We think we are dealing with a major trafficking of men who were condemned to death. It was all designed to appeal to the voyeuristic interests of a public that wants to see the inside of a body. I am sorry, but we cannot accept that," said Cécile Thimoreau, who heads a French group that opposes the death penalty in China.
The various bodies on display are preserved by "plastination," a lengthy process that replaces all body fluids with polymers to create odourless, long-lasting exhibits. Some of the corpses have been cut into neat cross sections, others are displayed in varying degrees of dissection.
The judge gave the organisers 24 hours to shut down the exhibition or face a fine of 20,000 euros (25,810 U.S. dollars) each day they refused to comply with the order.
"I am totally shocked. I think it is ridiculous, incredible. The judge did not base his decision on the law. He made an almost ecclesiastical decision by saying that the only place for a cadaver is in a cemetery, which raises thousands of questions. This is not the only exposition to show human bodies, which we call specimens. There are mummies on display all over the place. Of course we will appeal tomorrow morning," said Pascal Bernardin, who organised the exhibition.
The judge also said the corpses should be handed over to the authorities under threat of a fine of 50,000 euros a day.
"The appeals court will rule again, like the first judge did. I am not very worried. I think that the principles evoked have been violated to such a degree that I am totally confident that the appeals court will uphold the decision," said attorney Richard Sédillot, who represents the French group that brought the case to court.
Numerous versions of the show have been seen by some 30 million people worldwide and the Paris event has drawn a steady stream of visitors, undeterred by the high entrance fee of 15.50 euro. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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