Glyphosate: Justice does not recognize Bayer-Monsanto's responsibility for Théo's malformations

By The New Obs with AFP

Published on July 31, 2025 at 3:18 p.m. , updated July 31, 2025 at 4:36 p.m.

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The Vienna court ruled inadmissible on Thursday, July 31, the request by the parents of 18-year-old Théo Grataloup to link his birth defects to his pregnant mother's exposure to glyphosate, a flagship herbicide produced by the chemical giant Bayer-Monsanto.

Théo's mother, Sabine Grataloup, believes that her son's disability, born with an esophagus and trachea that did not separate properly, began in August 2006 when she was pregnant and used Glyper, a generic of Monsanto's glyphosate-based herbicide Roundup, to weed a riding arena.

Convinced of the "causal link" between glyphosate and their son's disability, the parents launched a civil action in 2018 to have this link recognized by the courts. The hearing took place on April 3 before the Vienne District Court (Isère).

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In its judgment, which AFP was able to consult, the court considers that Théo's family has not provided sufficient proof that glyphosate was used by Sabine Grataloup. Sabine Grataloup's statements "are not supported by any invoice or other documents capable of establishing the purchase of a container of Glyper during the summer of 2005 which could have been used during the summer of 2006," the court writes.

He also points out that the photographs produced by the family of a can of Glyper, used by Théo's mother and distributed by the company Novajardin, cannot correspond to the product purchased in 2005 because it was distributed by another company.

These elements "do not allow us to establish with the required certainty that this weedkiller was Glyper" , concluded the court, nevertheless recognising that Bayer/Monsanto "could be considered as being the producer" .

"This is obviously a great disappointment for the Grataloup family and for us. […] This case deserves to be submitted to the Court of Appeal," the family's law firm said in a statement.

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