The 25-year-old young man died of septic shock on the night of September 30 to October 1, 2023, after his admission to the emergency room of Hyères hospital in the Var. His family had filed a complaint.
The Toulon public prosecutor’s office has just confirmed the opening of an investigation into the death of Lucas in the emergency room of Hyères hospital (Var), after the complaint for manslaughter filed on December 12 by his family.
The investigations, entrusted to the Hyères police station, are “in a technical data collection phase” And “we will then assess whether it is appropriate to refer the matter to an investigating judge” explained to AFP the public prosecutor of Toulon, Samuel Finielz.
Lhe management of the Hyères Hospital Center had indicated to France 3, in a press release on December 18, its intention to “cooperate fully with the investigation carried out by the competent authority”.
Furthermore, the Minister of Health, Catherine Vautrin, confirmed this Wednesday morning in the morning broadcast of RMC-BFMTV that an administrative investigation had also been entrusted to the General Inspectorate of Social Affairs (IGAS).
This is crucial, because this administrative investigation will be part of the criminal procedure. If it identifies dysfunctions, it may have a judicial translation.
Me Thomas Callen, lawyer for Lucas’ mother
The lawyer for Lucas’ family is surprised, however, that the minister has not yet been aware of the letter sent to her by Corinne Godefroy, Lucas’s mother: “Certainly she has been in office for 15 days. But the registered letter was received by the ministry on December 19, more than a month ago.”
Lucas died on the night of September 30 to October 1 in the emergency room of Hyères hospital, victim according to his family of septic shock.
During the day of Saturday the 30th, suffering from violent abdominal pain, Lucas called the 15th, then was transported by the firefighters to Hyères hospital. He was admitted to the emergency room at 3:50 p.m.
According to his family’s account, several hours followed during which Lucas’ condition worsened.
A doctor examined him for the first time around 8 p.m., “quickly done”, according to Lucas’ messages to his mother. Around 9:30 p.m., he felt unwell.
A young man next to the stretcher, Damien Arnoux, testified to the events: “I saw that he was feeling unwell and two nurses passed by without doing anything, he says. I called out to a third who positioned it so that it would go better. He then takes his blood pressure, it is 5.3. LThe doctor who had already seen Lucas comes out and asks him if he is okay. Lucas replies that it’s okay “extremely bad“. I think because of the fact that he can talk, the doctor said “It’s not a real 5.3” and he went back into his office.”
A little later, he was sent for a scan. “But it was already too late,” regrets Lucas’ mother. His son dies at 2 a.m. septicemia linked to meningococcus, according to his medical records.
I think his death could have been avoided (…). What is certain is that not all means were implemented to save him.
Corinne Godefroy, mother of LucasInterviewed by France 3 on December 18
“VSeveryone contributed through their negligence to Lucas’ death.”commented his lawyer, Me Thomas Callen.
Since then, Corinne Godefroy has been fighting for the truth to be revealed about what led to the death of her son, but also “so that this doesn’t happen again”.
Reached by telephone, this bereaved mother said “very shocked” by the words of the Minister of Health Catherine Vautrin this Wednesday morning: “She tells us that we still have one of the best health systems in France, while we are questioning her about the fact that people wait ten hours in the emergency room. She is uncorrelated with reality!”
“How will the minister manage the influx of patients during the Olympic Games?” Corinne Godefroy still wonders.