“In contact with patients”: the case of a future doctor, convicted twice for sexual assault, arouses indignation

L’étudiant en médecine est visé par cinq plaintes pour agressions sexuelles et viol. Illustration MAXPPP – Luc Nobout

Un rassemblement est prévu ce mercredi 29 mai devant le ministère de la Santé pour dénoncer les violences sexistes et sexuelles dans le secteur hospitalier. Le cas d’un étudiant en 6e année de médecine, condamné à deux reprises après des agressions sexuelles, inquiète les associations et les syndicats mobilisés.

A 6th year medical student is currently being singled out by several associations who plan to mobilize this Wednesday, May 29 in front of the Ministry of Health to alert Catherine Vautrin about his case.

This young man, the target of five complaints for sexual assault and rape, was convicted twice and received a 5-year prison sentence on March 19, 2024 suspended sentence for sexual assaults committed between 2017 and 2020, recalls France 3.

This May 29, La Nouvelle République specifies that he must take the second part of the internship competition, while he is currently in the 6th year of medicine. This means that he could, from the start of the 2024 school year, receive consultations on his own. This possibility worries many associations and unions, who are therefore mobilizing this Wednesday.

"In contact with patients"

This is the case of the Emma Auclert collective, which brings together medical students, at the origin of the initiative. &amp ;quot;Rape culture and omerta are fueled by strong professional hierarchies, pathogenic management, esprit de corps and 'gun culture', indicates the AFP.

An open letter was written to denounce the situation of this student. "Why is this twice-convicted student currently doing an internship in a university hospital, in contact with patients, and preparing for the internship exam with a view to becoming a doctor", cites France 3.

An "ambitious" claimed

First a student at the University of Tours, he was transferred to Limoges and was able to complete an internship in gynecology, as part of the classic path for medical students. An element also denounced by the signatories.

In addition to the case of this student, the organizations mobilized this Wednesday evening are calling for the implementation "as an emergency" an ’ambitious plan for prevention and awareness of gender-based and sexual violence in universities and public and private health establishments, including mandatory training".