Le Figaro Nice
The hospitals of Grasse and Cannes (Alpes-Maritimes), as legal entities as well as their respective directors as natural persons, are each targeted by the same legal complaint for “involuntary manslaughter”.
The latter was filed Thursday by Me Thomas Callen, of the Marseille bar.
It represents the interests of Thérèse Sheeran, whose twin sister Frances died on September 6, 2022 within the walls of the Grasse hospital center.
She was 61 years old.
Through her lawyer, Thérèse maintains that her sister was the victim of serious negligence.
“This complaint does not come out of nowhere.
It demonstrates chronologically and factually the absence of serious support
,” explains Me Callen.
On the evening of September 4, 2022, two days before her death, this resident of Mougins of Irish origin initially went to the emergency room in Cannes, after being bitten by her dog.
Already there, the sixty-year-old would have been sidelined and poorly, if at all, cared for, according to her sister's account.
Despite the state of confusion in which she found herself at the time, the decision was apparently made to let her out that same evening.
“What is disturbing is that 20 minutes before she was thrown out, a contraindication for going out had been given following the more than poor results of the first blood tests
,” recalls the Marseille lawyer.
Frances Sheeran.
Thérèse Sheeran / Personal collection
Frances then spent the night alongside her twin sister.
“A terrible night where his state of health continued to deteriorate.
She had even urinated on herself, which is to say..."
, further illustrates Me Callen.
On the morning of September 5, Frances was no longer able to speak or open her mouth.
Distraught, Thérèse called the firefighters, begging them not to transport her sister to the emergency room in Cannes.
In Grasse, however, the situation had only gotten worse.
“The doctors immediately considered it to be an infectious disease.
This is evidenced by the eight Covid tests she underwent
, criticizes Thomas Callen.
He was also given a lumbar puncture without really knowing why.
On the other hand, he was always refused antibiotics.
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A 14-second call and a dark photo
Even more intriguing, Frances had been admitted to the orthopedic ward and isolated.
It was therefore alone that she would have spent her last hours, access to her room being strictly refused to Thérèse.
“Alone, whereas a lumbar puncture requires constant monitoring, given the risk of paralysis
,” observes Me Callen.
At the very end of the evening, the two sisters managed to communicate one last time, by telephone, around 11 p.m.
A chilling 14-second call.
Frances would have expressed her distress to Thérèse.
“I'm very bad, I'm going to die,”
she allegedly told him in substance, according to comments reported by Thérèse's counsel.
At 3 a.m. on September 6, Frances' lifeless body was found in her bedroom, behind the door.
Her sister is now putting forward final proof of the negligence Frances allegedly suffered: a photo discovered only ten days ago in her cell phone.
A photo taken at one o'clock in the morning on September 6 and which, at first glance, does not show much.
“It’s a completely dark photo.
But looking closer and superimposing filters, we seem to guess the floor of the hospital room.
Which could mean two things.
Either Frances tried to call for help before dying and in the confusion took this photo, or she wanted to bear witness to her isolation.
In both cases there is a serious fault
,” argues the lawyer.
And added:
“Still, we realized afterward that Frances had died of bacteria following the bite of her dog.
If we had given him antibiotics and had deigned to listen to him, we probably wouldn't be here."
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It is also about opening a debate of general interest so that Frances' death serves at least something.
This is not a Marxist conflict between users and hospital staff.
We attack those who neglect, not those who work.
Thomas Callen, the lawyer for Frances Sheeran's relatives.
Having remained silent for a long time, Thérèse Sheeran decided to call on Me Callen after the announcement of Lucas' death in the emergency room of Hyères (Var) from septic shock last December.
This 25-year-old young man died in more or less similar circumstances and his mother decided to sue the hospital.
“Today, the wish of Thérèse and her nine relatives who joined the complaint, is that all light is shed on the death of Frances and that those responsible are convicted
,” specifies Thomas Callen.
It is also about opening a debate of general interest so that this death serves at least something.
This is not a Marxist conflict between users and hospital staff.
We attack those who neglect, not those who work.”
Contacted, the management of the Grasse hospital assured of its willingness to serve the investigators and the Sheeran family.
“
We have contacted the family and will make all the elements available to the justice system as part of the complaint that was filed,”
she said.
On the negligence itself, however, she does not intend to express herself, invoking medical confidentiality.