Aisne. E.coli poisoning: investigations entrusted to investigating judges

The Paris prosecutor announced this Thursday the opening of 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 an 11-year-old girl at the beginning of the summer in the Aisne department.

This judicial investigation, opened in particular for aggravated involuntary manslaughter, endangering the life of others and aggravated deception and which should also make it possible to establish "possible criminal responsibilities", was entrusted to two investigating judges from the Paris public health unit, Laure Beccuau specified in a press release.

Less than a month ago, a petition challenging the State was filed before the administrative court of Amiens (Somme) by the parents of two infected children. Their lawyer, Emmanuel Ludot, considered that the State was "involved" in its liability and requested the appointment of an expert to establish the precise causes of the contamination.

Lack of State Verification?

Mr Ludot pointed out in particular "a marked lack of traceability control" and a "lack of verification by the health authorities of the meat cooling and preservation systems" in the butcher shops in question.

In June, a series of severe food poisoning cases in Saint-Quentin and the death of an 11-year-old child led to the closure of six butcher shops, only one of which was able to reopen. On July 5, 32 cases were recorded by the Aisne prefecture. The Saint-Quentin prosecutor's office, initially seized of the case for involuntary manslaughter, involuntary injury, endangerment, and aggravated deception, relinquished jurisdiction on June 25 in favor of the public health division of the Paris prosecutor's office . According to the petition, the parents claim to have purchased slices of leg of lamb and chicken skewers from one of the closed butcher shops on June 11.

Their two children, aged 8 and 11, showed symptoms on June 15, including stomach aches, and the parents "felt extremely tired." The children's symptoms "worsened" and the children "were taken to the pediatric emergency room, which revealed contamination." The expert will, according to the lawyer, notably have to "describe the traceability of the bacteria" and "establish a definite causal link" between the bacteria and the food poisoning suffered by the children.