A judicial investigation, in particular for facts "(of) illegal practice of medicine", was opened at the end of the summer against the naturopath Thierry Casasnovas, the former champion of fasting and raw food on YouTube, we learned Thursday from the prosecutor's office in Perpignan (Pyrénées-Orientales).
This influencer, based in the village of Taulis about thirty kilometers from Perpignan, who was until last June one of the most influential French-speaking Youtubers in the field, with 525,000 subscribers and tens of millions of cumulative views, announced in mid-June that he was shutting down his YouTube channel and withdrawing from “public life” in a final video.
Thierry Casanovas said he was "exhausted by the harassment" of which he was the object, in particular because of the Miviludes (Interministerial mission for vigilance and the fight against sectarian excesses) which he described as "police of thought".
With more than 600 referrals, including 70 in 2020, he is the most reported personality at Miviludes.
Eat raw and abstain from living better
During 2020, the Perpignan public prosecutor's office opened a judicial investigation against him for "illegal exercise of the profession of doctor", "abuse of weakness" and "deceptive commercial practices", before entrusting the case to a judge on August 3. instruction.
For ten years, this naturopath has made himself known through his videos, accumulating more than one hundred million "views", where he defends eating raw and abstinence to live better, regenerate and detoxify his body.
At the same time, the Youtubeur was promoting a brand of juice extractor essential to these eating practices.
Read also Food drifts: "My sister died, she got embarked on sectarianism"
According to these videos, these practices can prevent or even cure cancer, diabetes or depression… He rejects traditional medicine and does not “believe in vaccination”.
He also does not hesitate to affirm that he "Minister of Health", the coronavirus "would be settled quickly: cold bath and fasting for everyone, a little carrot juice and go ahead and I send you", says he facing the camera.
If he has now left YouTube, Thierry Casanovas indicates in his last video of June 12 that his followers will still be able to follow “the message” of his association Régènère on another social network, the Telegram messaging system.
At the beginning of June, the national association for the defense of victims of sects, (Unadfi) seized by several families including relatives following the precepts of Régènère, filed a complaint against the influencer in particular for "abuse of weakness", "illegal exercise of medicine and pharmacy ”and“ deliberate endangerment of others ”, can be seen on his site.
