For 42 years, James-Bernard Murat was exposed to sodium arsenite. The family of the winegrower, who died of cancer in 2012, will file a complaint against X on April 27.
The phyto-victims have decided to fight. The family of a winegrower will file a complaint against X for “manslaughter” on April 27 at the Public Health Center of the Paris Tribunal de Grande Instance. In their sights, an arsenic-containing pesticide, used to treat a fungal disease of the grapevine.
The complaint is filed against X, but it targets manufacturers of sodium arsenite and state services, according to Valérie Murat. The daughter of James-Bernard Murat, who died in 2012 from occupational cancer, is fighting for responsibilities to be established. “I don’t want my father to die for nothing,” she told AFP. We deceived the peasants, we made fun of them, we made good little chemical soldiers of them. Indeed, James-Bernard Murat was exposed for 42 years to sodium arsenite, without ever knowing its toxicity.
The fight of Valérie Murat is carried by the specialized lawyer François Lafforgue, who wishes to make this trial that of all the pesticides based on arsenic, banned since 2001 only. Moreover, in addition to the mention of manslaughter, the complaint will mention “the failure to provide assistance, the criminal abstention and the offense of deception. “
Alongside Valérie Murat, two associations: Générations Futures and Phyto-victims. “The dangerousness of arsenite has been recognized since at least 1955,” they underline. in a joint press release. This complaint will aim to highlight all the responsibilities, those of the manufacturers of these products and those of the State services. The associations hope to put an end to an omerta and thus alert farmers to the risks to which they are exposed.
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