Europe 1 with AFP // Photo credits: Pixabay 9:00 a.m., March 25, 2024

The government announced on Monday March 25 a plan to control all medico-social establishments which accommodate people with disabilities. It will see the light of day in 2025 and is part of the national strategy to combat mistreatment of vulnerable people.

All social and medico-social establishments welcoming disabled people in France will be controlled from 2025, the government announced this Monday, as part of a national strategy to combat abuse targeting disabled or elderly people.

Fight against abuse 

“This strategy plans to control all medico-social establishments housing children and adults with disabilities by 2030. Inspectors will be responsible for verifying that their fundamental rights are respected. Particular attention will be given to the fight against mistreatment” , indicates to AFP the delegated ministry responsible for the elderly and disabled people.

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In total, 9,200 establishments which welcome disabled people are concerned, in particular medico-educational institutes (IME), medical reception homes, specialized reception homes and Establishment and work assistance service (Esat), specifies its ministry. This strategy follows the work of the “General States of Mistreatment”, which brought together in 2023 associations, professionals, administrations and families concerned.

Failures in the disability sector

It was published the day after the broadcast on Sunday evening on M6 of an investigation by “Zone Interdite” into the failures of the State in the disability sector. The program notably shows a dilapidated IME, which refuses to let in parents, alerted by an educator to the deplorable conditions of accommodation for their children. This survey also gives voice to parents who indicate that they have filed a complaint after observing signs of mistreatment of their adult autistic son.

Minister Fadila Khattabi "asked for a mission to be launched with the General Inspectorate of Social Affairs, starting this summer, to monitor the support and guidance of disabled children in EMI", in reaction to this report, indicates the ministry. The conclusions are expected by the end of the year.

After the scandal caused by the publication of the investigative book "Les Fossoyeurs" by journalist Victor Castanet, which revealed mistreatment of residents in retirement homes of the private Orpea group, the government announced that the 7,500 public nursing homes in France, private and associative, would be controlled. Half have already been, the others will be by the end of the year, according to the ministry.