Despite her slight smile, her sadness is betrayed by her gaze. Moved, Camille
(the first name has been changed)
welcomed with relief, this Friday, the deliberation of the Paris court: Miguel Barthelery, the naturopath who followed Paul, Camille's husband, was found guilty of illegal practice of medicine and theft of a title. He was sentenced to two years in prison (
a sentence that he will only carry out if he repeats
) and definitive ban from practicing the professions of naturopath, magnetizer and dowser. He will also have to compensate Camille for 5,000 euros for moral damage.
Camille had filed a complaint in February 2019 against this practitioner, established in Cachan (Val-de-Marne) and Paris, guilty in his eyes of having dismissed his spouse Paul, a 41-year-old restaurateur, of traditional medicine.
Suffering from testicular cancer and "under the influence" of Miguel Barthelery, he had followed fasts and purges in order to be cured, refusing to have recourse to traditional medicine.
"I begged Paul to go consult and remove everything immediately, but he replied that thanks to what he was doing in relation to Miguel, the mass would soon be reduced and leave," recalls Camille.
"Willingness to create confusion"
And the messages exchanged between the naturopath and his patient leave no room for doubt according to the president of the court: “In all awareness of the seriousness of the victim's illness, Miguel Barthelery took the place of a doctor and dismissed his doctor. traditional medicine patient.
"In the reasons for her deliberation, the judge spoke of" the dangerousness of this practice
(of naturopath) in the
face of a disease such as cancer.
"
The magistrate also recalled that the naturopath had a "desire to create confusion by maintaining in particular on the Internet and its social networks his titles of doctor in molecular medicine, research doctor, cancer specialist, and that he was called in this way. By his "fragile" patients.
VIDEO.
Naturopath prosecuted for "illegal practice of medicine": "Without him, my companion would have escaped"
The parents of Hélène, a physiotherapist who had also succumbed under the same conditions of undernutrition to breast cancer taken care of by Miguel Barthelery were also recognized as victims, even if they had not been heard during the investigation and were not reported until the hearing, after having contacted the lawyer of the civil parties Me Manuel Abitbol.
"It is the media coverage of this case that made them realize that they were not the only ones to have experienced such a tragedy", details the lawyer of the victims.
Miguel Barthelery as for him did not come for the deliberation.
From this Saturday, he is organizing a three-day course around fasting and purges in Cabannes (Bouches-du-Rhône), where those who want to discover the “secrets of true total and natural health” will have to pay 450 euros.
But he has the right to animate this course.
Because for ten days, he always has the right to practice his activity.
After this period, however, his prohibition to exercise will apply, unless he appeals
(because an appeal is suspensive).
"Given his personality as a megalomaniac, I am convinced that he will continue"
“My client has not yet decided whether he would appeal or not, loose Me. Guillaume Martine, the naturopath's representative. But he could make it a matter of principle. Because one can wonder about the appreciation made by justice of the alternative therapies. They are not prohibited by law and yet my client is doomed. Naturopathy is therefore an illegal practice? And it is incredible that you can no longer be called doctor when you have a doctorate, it's new… ”Because Miguel Barthelery is indeed a doctoral student, a level of study validated by his two American diplomas, which however does not allow him to be a doctor.
For his part, Me Manuel Abitbol recalls: “We discovered that there were other victims.
I represent three families and maybe three more to come.
"The lawyer for the civil parties is in any case" satisfied "with the deliberation.
"Justice has done a double blow: punish and prevent, he believes.
This will dissuade those who want to indulge in these same abuses.
You can't cure cancer by stopping eating.
We are not playing with people's health.
And it was important for my client that we protect patients.
She will never forget this tragedy but she can move forward now that she knows others will be avoided in the future.
"
Read alsoInvestigation of Miguel B., naturopath who claims to cure cancer: the police fiasco
Despite everything, Camille is not completely reassured. "I'm not here to get a penny, nothing will make me fall in love with me and nothing will erase the months of suffering," she sighs. I am told that it is historic to condemn a naturopath or someone from an alternative medicine to a definitive ban on practicing. But given his megalomaniacal personality, I am convinced that he will continue, in one form or another (
Miguel Barthelery is only prohibited from exercising an activity of naturopath, magnetizer and dowser, he can for example become a dietitian
). It is supported by a huge community. "
The young woman is nevertheless aware of having been "heard" by the courts.
"In my grieving process, I never imagined that it would be so important to be recognized as a victim, but it relieves me," she continues.
I'm exhausted.
I wanted to start moving forward and leave it all behind.
But I'm afraid I will have to continue and restart the procedure because it will not stop.
"
His lawyer Me. Abitbol engages: “There are enough victims to seize an examining magistrate for manslaughter.
And a real police investigation would undoubtedly make it possible to determine the exact number of victims.
And then, in this context, under judicial control, Miguel Barthelery could no longer harm.
"
