At the helm of the Montluçon Criminal Court, this Tuesday, December 7, the former doctor of the emergency department of the Montluçon public hospital denies almost everything en bloc.
On October 25, 2020, he did not sexually assault a young woman suffering from pain in her right elbow following a fall. He also did not sexually harass two nurses, or even make sexist remarks against caregivers.
Suspended from his functions, the fifty-year-old, who refused to resign and left the establishment in March 2021 once his contract ended, often has the same word in his mouth: “never!” Just, he recognizes a few light expressions of the style “the beautiful” or “the princess” intended for the female staff.
The man considers himself the victim of maneuvers on the part of the director who “wanted me to leave”. Psychiatric expertise reveals certain character traits. He is a “liar and manipulator”.
Love songs
Five women – four were not present at the hearing – lodged a complaint and became a civil party. Four belong to the hospital setting and all say the same thing. The doctor would have wandering hands, be familiar and insistent with his co-workers and, if necessary, would not hesitate to hum love songs to them.
With the patient coming with confidence to the emergency room, the story would have gone much further. She claims he asked her to take off her mask, told her she was pretty, asked her to kiss her several times, stroked her thighs before putting his hands around her chest.
The emergency services in the Allier would like this to become a reflex: “Before coming, call 15”
“From the moment he started to hit on me, it became embarrassing”, testifies the young woman who ensures very well to make the difference “between a professional gesture and one which is not it”. The practitioner defends himself. “She misinterpreted my actions which were medical acts”.
These explanations are not likely to convince the public prosecutor, Loïc Eyrignac, who is requesting eighteen months suspended prison sentence and an obligation of care. “There is no conspiracy, he abused his authority and placed the patient in a situation of fear.”
“He was delivered as pasture”
Me Antoine Douet, who defends the interests of the patient, describes a behavior of “sexual predator”. “It is in a logic of denial which could have been admissible if there had been only one complainant. He tells us that nothing happened and that we are dealing with five liars. It is not credible ”.
For Me Philippe Benamou, who pleads for the release, “there was no sexual assault” on October 25, 2020. The doctor “did his job and asked questions of a medical nature”. The defense lawyer believes that “we tried to kick” his client from the hospital. “He was handed over to the pasture, it was necessary to punish the little infantryman who came to work in France 27 to 28 days a month”.
The criminal court followed the requisitions of the public prosecutor by condemning the defendant to eighteen months suspended sentence. In addition, he will be prohibited from exercising any medical activity for a period of five years.
Fabrice Redon
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