After Orpea, Korian is in turn at the heart of the scandal. The first French group to manage nursing homes is also accused of abusing elderly people housed in some of its retirement homes. Thirty complaints have been filed with prosecutors in a dozen different regions, lawyer Sarah Saldmann announced to AFP on Tuesday, June 7, confirming information from the Parisian. Here’s what we know about these new charges.
Eighteen families filed a complaint
The thirty complaints filed against X come from 18 families of residents of establishments managed by the Korian group, for acts of “endangering the lives of others”, “non-assistance to a person in danger” and ” manslaughter”. They were filed in Aix-en-Provence, Bobigny, Bourges, Le Mans, Marseille, Nantes, Niort, Paris, Pau and Versailles, detailed Sarah Saldmann to AFP.
The lawyer was already at the origin of nearly 80 complaints filed in April to Nanterre against the group Orpea for similar facts, in the wake of the scandal triggered by the book-investigation The Gravediggers of the journalist Victor Castanet. Most of these procedures, apart from those concerning subsidiary clinics Clinea, are already “investigating parties”said the lawyer.
The Korian group announces its “surprise”
“We know nothing of the details of these complaints”reacted Emmanuel Daoud, Korian’s lawyer, who expressed his “surprise” with franceinfo.
“These events have not been brought to the attention of the establishments and that surprises me a lot.”
Emmanuel Daoud, lawyer for the Korian groupon franceinfo
According to him, “Families know who to talk to in case of difficulties”. Korian has set up a system so that they can contact the heads of establishments directly, with a telephone line, a service “family-relations” dedicated and “an independent mediator”. “Their requests are processed by these services”he assured, adding “that in the event of a malfunction, if there is any, Korian has the obligation to contact the ARS”.
“The criminal actions are announced, Korian will naturally answer the questions that will be asked, if they are asked one day, and all this will be done with respect for the interests of the families and the manifestation of the truth”, summed up Emmanuel Daoud. Korian’s lawyer assured that he was waiting for the rest “with great serenity”while pointing “the OPA” plaintiffs’ attorney “on the distress, anger and unhappiness of families”. Since its revelations, the action of the Korian group has fallen by more than 10% on the Paris Stock Exchange.
Families testify publicly
Beyond the complaints filed with the courts, several families have decided to speak publicly to testify to the ordeal experienced by their loved ones. “Every day he was there he was like, ‘Get me out of there, they’re not nice'”, says Elisabeth to franceinfo. She lost her father, placed in the Korian clinic in Clavette, near La Rochelle (Charente-Maritime) at Christmas. The family of this 88-year-old man has therefore decided to file a complaint against the group for “manslaughter”.
“We saw him decline day by day. Dad lost his dignity there. I saw him cry!”
Elisabeth, one of the plaintiffsat franceinfo
Emmanuel Bourdin also denounces major dysfunctions in the care of his father within an Ehpad of the Korian group. “Systematically, we found him alone in front of his plate in bed, while the doctors had asked that he eat at the table and that he be accompanied so as not to have swallowing problems”says the son to the Parisian.
The Korian group has already been criticized
This is not the first time that the practices of the Korian group have been challenged. In April, lawyer Fabien Arakelian already told franceinfo that the group was also concerned by complaints from families concerning cases of abuse, just like Orpea and DomusVi, the third French group of Ehpad. “It’s white cap and white cap”, accused the lawyer. At the peak of the Covid-19 crisis, in April 2020, the group had also been the subject of criticism and an investigation for “involuntary homicides”, in particular after the death of 37 residents of the Mougins nursing home (Alps -Maritimes).
The absolute priority given to the search for profitability in the Korian group had also been singled out. A former director of the group’s Ehpad had notably denounced in “Cash Investigation” the savings made on meals. “They will save money on croutons”was indignant Samuel Royer, former director of a group establishment between 2014 and 2017. “The idea that I can be told that I am starving the elderly revolts me. I do not believe this is the reality in our nursing homes”replied the general manager of Korian in the program.