FRANCE: FRENCH COURT PAVES WAY FOR 30 FORMER OFFICIALS TO FACE TRIAL FOR KNOWING DISTRIBUTING AIDS-TAINTED BLOOD THROUGH NATIONAL BLOOD BANKS

Record ID: 649176

  • Title: FRANCE: FRENCH COURT PAVES WAY FOR 30 FORMER OFFICIALS TO FACE TRIAL FOR KNOWING DISTRIBUTING AIDS-TAINTED BLOOD THROUGH NATIONAL BLOOD BANKS
  • Date: 10th January 2001
  • Summary: PARIS, FRANCE (10 JANUARY 2001) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. LAS/SLV: EXTERIOR JUSTICE PALACE (2 SHOTS) 0.08 2. LV: INTERIOR JUSTICE PALACE 0.14 3. SV'S: LAWYERS IN PALACE CORRIDORS (2 SHOTS) 0.21 4. SCU: (SOUNDBITE) (French) EDMOND LUC HENRI, PRESIDENT OF THE FRENCH HEAMOPHILIC ASSOCIATION SAYING: "The case in now in the hands of the investigative magistrate, who should decide in 15 days or a month, what the next procedure will be. Once the case is in a criminal court, there will be no possibility of appeal." 0.0.44 5. SV: LAWYER COMING DOWNSTAIRS 0.51 6. SCU: POLICEMAN 0.55 7. SCU: (SOUNDBITE) (French) PATRICE GAUDIN, WHOSE TWO CHILDREN DIED FOLLOWING TAINTED BLOOD TRANSFUSIONS, SAYING: "Concerning the responsibility for our children's death, we consider this a clear-cut crime because our two children died after being contaminated by AIDS-tainted blood while they were part of a test programme. To develop Pasteur tests, their blood was infused with unsafe products which would allow the effectiveness of the test to be proven. They were part of a test programme along with 405 other haemophiliacs, most of them children, and I find that absolutely shameful. For two years these people knowingly administered death, readily accepting the consequences of their actions. They knew they would cause the death of a certain number of people -- it is a crime and it can only be tried in a criminal court. 1.51 8. SV: PARENTS OF VICTIMS 1.58 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 25th January 2001 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: PARIS, FRANCE
  • Country: France
  • Reuters ID: LVA3NNQOWKJU3IM02YDADCUFTKS3
  • Story Text: A French court has paved the way for 30 former
    officials to face trial on charges of knowingly distributing
    AIDS-tainted blood through national blood banks.


    A French court hearing in the case against former
    officials accused of knowingly distributing AIDS-tained blood
    in the mid-1980s, informed an investigating magistrate on
    Wednesday (10 January) that she could order a trial against
    the officials. Judicial sources said the step would bring the
    case to court by early 2002.

    The accused include Renault chairman Louis Schweitzer, who
    was an aide to former Prime Minister Laurent Fabius in the
    mid-1980s when the public health service distributed the
    contaminated blood.

    Many of the victims were children taking part in a test to
    treat haemophilia. A father whose two children died from the
    transfusions said the key evidence which has now come to light
    is the fact that those involved knew that some of the
    participants would die as a result of the procedures.

    "For two years these people knowingly administered death,
    readily accepting the consequences of their actions. They knew
    they would cause the death of a certain number of people -- it
    is a crime and it can only be tried in a criminal court,"
    Patrice Gaudin told reporters at the Justice Palace in Paris.

    Among the others due to be tried were Michel Garretta, the
    former head of the transfusion service who has already been
    convicted of fraud in the scandal, and former senior health
    ministry officials and doctors.

    Schweitzer has already denied under oath charges that the
    government knowingly delayed screening of potentially tainted
    blood products in 1985 until a French company could match a
    rival American product already on the market.

    That allegation figured in a 1999 manslaughter trial at
    which Fabius and former Social Affairs Minister Georgina
    Dufoix were acquitted. Former Social Affairs Secretary Edmond
    Herve was found guilty at that trial but given no sentence.

    Groups representing victims of the scandal say at least
    3,600 people were infected and 1,000 have already died because
    officials, after learning of the disease, delayed the decision
    to screen donated blood by using a relatively simple procedure
    to head blood stocks and thus kill the virus.


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