Between october 1995 and June 1996, and then between April and
June 1997, an abdominal ache epidemic ( part of them where acute appendicitis )
and skin diseases struck 80% of the inhabitants of Desirade island ( a 1610 people
dependency of Guadeloupe, in the French West Indies), thus the whole consumers of tap water,
provided by Générale des Eaux, a VIVENDI subsidiary .
This website was created by SOS-Santé Désirade (an association which
defends Desiradians) and the concerned medical practitioners, in order to
keep in the integrality of the informations they have (Scientific, Juridic and Media-related) .
Its purpose is to make people know everything
about a Public Health drama which stuck a resourceless population, at the hands
of the alliance between money power (the multinational firm VIVENDI, tap water provider)
and political power ( Health ministry), both determined to cover up the affair .
The main victims of this drama, excluding the Desiradian,
paid the piper of their courage :
- Two murders :
- 1991 Max Mathurin, Désirade's Mayor
- 1999 Pr. Camille Berchel, Chief of Pediatric department in
the Hospital of Pointe-à-Pitre .
- One murder Attempt : 1996 Dr.Jean-Marie Le Cabellec, the Island GP, was stabbed.
He miraculously survived, but his serious mayhem prevents him to work again .
- Huge administrative sanctions : Dr. Manuceau, Surgeon in Pointe-à-Pitre and
correspondant of Dr Le Cabellec, could not feel safe any more, dashed of Guadeloupe in July 1999 .
Which destroyed his professional and familial life. In 2006, the Health Ministry achieved to
forbid him to treat any social insured patient for one year .
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Few strong points :
January 2nd of 1998,
Le Figaro publishes the Health Ministry's version, concerning the Desirade affair :
"Desiradians have never been ill. It was a collective psychosis whose reponsibles were Dr. Le Cabellec
and Dr. Manuceau" .
Le Figaro gave, as a scientific proof supporting this thesis, the Investigation Report,
written by Réseau National de Santé Publique (RNSP), directed by Dr. QUESNEL .
April, 10th of 2000,
Guadeloupe's prefect, announced in a press conference
that pesticides were found in the provided local tap water .
It's the first time such an analysis was done . Though farmers
have used large amounts of pesticides for 10 years .
September, 10th of 2000,
, Dr.Quesnel defends his Investigation Report
before the 11th Appeal Court of Paris .
Parisian Judges considered that this version constitued
a libel toward the two practitioners .
Then, the 11th Chamber confirmed the judgment of the 17th Correctionnal
Chamber : It was the first victory against the Health Ministry .
June, 21st of 2002
, the Guadeloupean Water Committee
laid
charges against X, for putting others in jeopardy, voluntary
abstention of taking or stimulate measures to fight a sinister
and offence foretold by the L.216-6 article from the Environment
Code . The Republic Prosecutor refused to investigate the complaint .
September, 27th of 2002,
, Dr. Manuceau laid charges against X, for
Faux, slandering denunciations, and frauds for judgement .
The Republic Prosecutor refused to investigate the complaint .
September, 18th 2007,
Reporting to the press his survey about Pesticides in French West Indies, Pr Dominique Belpomme,
an oncologist from Georges Pompidou Hospital, stated that :
- "For the 20 last years, the French West Indies have been poluted
by more than a hundred pesticides, without any toxicological control".
- "Our scientific surveys are leading to assess that a health tragedy occured in the French West Indies
[...] it is a real poisoning of Martinique and Guadeloupe, [...] concerning soil and water . [...]
The whole population has been poisoned this time : not only currently living, but also for the next generations" .
September, 18th of 2007
, le Figaro published an article entitled "An alarmist report about pesticides in French West Indies" :
- "The National Agronomic Research Institute has known local animals were infected since 1980".
- "The truth is that no campain for water, soil or population toxicologic measures has been made before 1999,
and for 25 years, no tonnage, no history-listing of the use of pesticides or officially recognized ones
have ever been published ."