The Sanofi group was indicted at the end of November 2024 for several offenses in the investigation relating to possible toxic discharges from its factory in Mourenx, in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques, but escaped at this stage in the main complaint, that of endangering the life of others, learned the France-Presse Agency (AFP), Tuesday, March 11, a source close to the file.
The Paris prosecutor’s office confirmed to AFP that Sanofi had been indicted on November 28 for an offense, “obstacle to an environmental administrative control”, and for two contravention offenses: “exploitation of an installation classified without compliance with general rules and technical prescriptions” and “non-declaration of accidents or incidents by the operator of a classified installation”. On the other hand, the group was placed, at this stage, under the status of witness assisted for the heaviest offense, “endangering others”, according to the prosecution. Solicited by AFP, Sanofi did not react immediately.
The association France Nature Environnement (FNE) had revealed these extraordinary toxic rejections in 2018 of sodium valproate, making up an excess, an antiepileptic drug accused of being the cause of neurodevelopmental disorders in children. In June 2020, the National Federation of CGT chemical industries, the CGT union of the Sisteron and Mourenx chemical industries and the local CGT Union of Mourenx, Lacq-Orthez basin and surroundings had filed a complaint with the constitution of civil party to obtain the seizure of an investigating judge of the Public Pole of the Paris Court. The judicial information was opened in August 2022.
About fifteen residents build civil parties
During the AFP revelation of the opening of these investigations, a few months later, Sanofi had announced that “The production process for sodium valproate” generated “Some atmospheric emissions for which no threshold was set until 2018”. “It is only from 2018 that a prefectural decree established sodium valproate emissions”added the group, adding that he had “Bring a large investment program on its installation of Mourenx which responds to all prefectural prescriptions in terms of emissions”.
“We can demonstrate that some of the local residents were contaminated by the Dépakine”supports Tuesday Charles Joseph-Oudin, lawyer for a local civil party and the association of victims of Dépakine, Apesac. About fifteen residents are in the process of constituting civil parties in this file, according to the council. The lawyer has already filed a complaint in November 2023 for a mother of two children “Affected by neurocomportal disorders” who worked, during his pregnancies, ” in front ” of the factory. In April 2024, the Pau administrative court forced Sanofi to carry out a study of health risks on the population around the Mourenx site. This indictment arrives in a “Judicial context which becomes very tense for Sanofi laboratories”also estimates Mr. Joseph-Oudin.
In another judicial information, opened in 2016 and on the heart of the scandal of Désakine and its possible impacts on health, the group is indicted for “aggravated deception” and “involuntary injuries” since 2020. In June 2023, the Court of Cassation had however estimated a certain number of complaints, which constituted a “Strong weakening” of the file according to a source close to it.
In the procedures open to the National Office for the Compensation for Medical Accidents (ONIAM), “120 million euros of public money have already been engaged in place of Sanofi” For nearly 2,000 victims, according to Mr. Joseph-Oudin. According to estimates by French health authorities, the molecule is responsible for malformations in 2,150 to 4,100 children and neurodevelopmental disorders in 16,600 to 30,400 children.