French court dismisses Aids-tainted blood case
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.An appeals court threw out a long-standing case yesterday against 30 people who had been expected to go on trial for their alleged roles in an Aids-tainted blood scandal that shook France's public health system more than a decade ago.
An appeals court threw out a long-standing case yesterday against 30 people who had been expected to go on trial for their alleged roles in an Aids-tainted blood scandal that shook France's public health system more than a decade ago.
The decision shocked families of victims, who were infected or died because they were transfused with blood infected with HIV. Many of the victims were haemophiliacs dependent on transfusions to survive. More than 4,000 people were infected before the tainted products were withdrawn. Hundreds have died.
"It's an amnesty. There is no justice," said Joelle Boucher, whose son developed Aids after being contaminated during a transfusion.
The prosecutor's office has five days to decide whether to appeal against the decision, made by the appeals court's investigating branch.
Senior French officials and health specialists have already been taken to court in the scandal, which centred on their failure to withdraw blood products known to have been contaminated with HIV in the 1980s. Most claimed not enough was known about Aids at the time.
Doctors and Health Ministry advisers are among the 30 people involved in the current case. But only seven of the 30 were being pursued on criminal charges, from poisoning to complicity to poison or "voluntary violence". The 23 others were under investigation for misdemeanors. All were implicated for allegedly having prescribed or distributed blood products contaminated with HIV.
In 1999, a special court acquitted the former prime minister Laurent Fabius and the former social affairs minister Georgina Dufoix of manslaughter. Edmond Herve, a former health minister, was convicted but not given a penalty. Dr Michel Garretta, former head of the National Blood Transfusion Centre, was jailed for his role in the scandal, one of only a handful given prison terms.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments