"E. coli" in Aisne: Paris prosecutor opens judicial investigation after the death of a little girl

A judicial investigation to identify the origin of the wave of food poisoning from the E.coli bacteria , which affected around thirty people and led to the death of a little girl in the Aisne region, has been opened, the Paris prosecutor announced on Thursday, August 7.

This judicial investigation, opened in particular for aggravated involuntary manslaughter, endangering the life of others and aggravated deception, should also make it possible to establish "possible criminal responsibilities" , specified the prosecutor, Laure Beccuau, in a press release. "Two investigating judges from the Paris public health unit are now in charge of this investigation" , she declared. In mid-June, "several children aged 11 months to 12 years had been taken into care by the hospitals of Saint-Quentin, Amiens, Lille and Reims" , recalls the prosecution.

The prefect of Aisne, Fanny Anor, welcomed in a press release this "important step in the search for the truth, so eagerly awaited by the families" and said she hoped that "the legal proceedings will shed full light on these poisonings." All were infected with the Escherichia coli ( E. coli ) bacteria. An 11-year-old girl, Elise, died on June 16 at the Amiens University Hospital.

This wave of food poisoning, with 32 cases recorded in total, led to the precautionary closure of six butcher shops, with the authorities suspecting a foodborne infection linked to meat.

The Saint-Quentin public prosecutor's office quickly relinquished responsibility for the preliminary investigation in favor of the public health unit of the Paris public prosecutor's office.