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French Watchdog Finds Severe Rights Breaches and Unusual Death Toll at Melun Psychiatric Unit

The Health Ministry must answer the report within four weeks.

La vigie des prisons et hôpitaux psychiatriques  dénonce dans un rapport "de graves atteintes aux droits" des patients du pôle psychiatrie de l'hôpital de Melun
La Contrôleuse générale des lieux de privation de liberté, Dominique Simonnot, le 9 mai 2025 à Paris

Overview

  • The national oversight body CGLPL, which published its report Tuesday in the official journal, detailed seven patient deaths between January 1, 2024 and August 1, 2025, including five under involuntary care and none by suicide.
  • The CGLPL said the hospital’s figures on involuntary treatment are unreliable and ordered a dependable way to collect psychiatric activity data, with the ministry now on the clock to reply within four weeks.
  • The report cites weak follow-up for physical health needs and poor record-keeping, noting a sleep apnea case relayed only by word of mouth and a missed alert despite low blood pressure and an abnormal pulse.
  • Inspectors found minors placed full-time in adult units against the rules, and said some minors in voluntary care were isolated or restrained based on illegal decisions that were not always written down.
  • The unit has 14 isolation or lockable rooms for 88 beds, which the watchdog calls unusually high and abused, while the hospital says it has cut isolation and restraint, added a mandatory medical check at entry, created a single register, and points to a shortage of child psychiatrists and dedicated youth beds in the area.