An inmate at Fleury-Merogis (Essonne) prison who has not seen her disabled son for over a year appealed to the administrative court of Versailles, denouncing "
an attack on the best interests of the child
" , AFP learned Friday, May 7 from his lawyer.
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This detainee usually sees her autistic child in the visiting room of the parent-child relay, dedicated to publicized visits and adapted to her disability. But, since the health crisis, this place has been closed and visits can only be made in lawyers' visiting rooms or by videophone. However, the latter "
are unsuited to the difficulties of the son
" of the detainee, denounces the International Prison Observatory (OIP) in a press release, citing the educator of the child: "
The slightest change in the landmarks as well as the proximity physical causes in him great anguish
”.
A first appeal had already been filed in February before the summary judge of the administrative court of Versailles. The latter, in an order dated March 2, suspended the decision of the Fleury-Merogis women's remand center to end publicized visits and forced the administration to make a new decision on this issue. But in a letter, consulted by AFP, the Fleury-Merogis remand center maintained its decision to offer visits only by videophone or in the lawyers' visiting room.
The opening of the parent-child relay "would
require a major reorganization
" argues the administration, adding that the publicized visiting rooms "
do not allow the respect of essential gestures
" to protect themselves from the coronavirus. Making an exception for an autistic child "
would create a situation of unequal management
" while the other detainees see their children in visiting rooms for lawyers, specifies the letter from the remand center. "
The administration makes fun of the world and ignores the specificity of this child who has a disability that others do not have
", reacts after AFP Me Amélie Morineau, whose client proposed medical isolation if he was allowed to see his son in public speaking visiting room.
A second summary was filed with the Administrative Court of Versailles on April 30 to force the remand center to re-establish the visiting rooms for the parent-child relay. Contacted by AFP, the prison administration did not respond on Friday.