The doctor treating the family of Gabin, a baby who died of hunger at the age of 22 months in 2013, whose parents have since been heavily condemned to assize, received Thursday in Guéret a nine-month suspended prison sentence. The criminal court found guilty this 62-year-old doctor, Jean-Louis V., of "failure to assist a person in danger": a "rare fact" according to the association L'Enfant bleu, civil party to his trial on 4 June.
The doctor had argued the error of assessment
He will have to pay 7,000 euros in damages for moral prejudice to Gabin's older brother, 900 euros each to the parents of the baby who had brought civil actions and 1 symbolic euro to the association L'Enfant bleu.
At the hearing, the doctor, still active, had pleaded the error of assessment, insisting that he had "seen nothing" before the death of this baby on June 7, 2013, at the age of 22 months, of the consequences undernutrition and dehydration. When he arrived at the emergency room, he weighed only 5.825 kg. "The state of Gabin did not cause me concern. During the consultations, he was always clean and well dressed," he said.
"I had the perfect family in front of me"
The prosecutor relied on the court's judgment, inviting the judges to ask themselves whether the doctor was aware of an imminent danger for Gabin during his consultations or not.
"He was always in his mother's arms. I had the perfect family in front of me. Céline Vialette (mother, nlr) was never a problem. She was very attentive to her child. She seemed to be take care of Gabin perfectly, "continued the doctor a few months after appearing as a witness at the parents' trial.
Édouard Ruaud, 40, and Céline Vialette, 34, accused of "deprivation of care and food followed by the death of a minor under 15 years of age", said then that they were overwhelmed by difficulties in marrying and d 'money. Convicted on November 15, 2019 to 17 years of criminal imprisonment by the Creuse Assize Court, they are awaiting their appeal trial.