Pointe-a-Pitre (AFP)

"They say we practice euthanasia and kill the sick."

The health authorities and the prefecture of Guadeloupe have filed a dozen complaints against the proliferation of insults and death threats for their management of the health crisis.

While the fourth wave has been deadly in the archipelago since July and led to a re-containment in early August, the prosecution received "more than ten complaints" from both health and prefectural authorities, indicates to AFP Patrick Desjardins, prosecutor of the Republic of Pointe-à-Pitre.

Among the plaintiffs, Gérard Cotellon, director of the CHU de la Guadeloupe, "lodged three complaints" for "death threats" and for "defamation against all those who say that euthanasia is practiced in hospital and that we kill the sick, ”he told AFP.

Mr. Cotellon notably received his "funeral notice in preparation for D-3. That's the atmosphere".

On September 3, the prefecture of Guadeloupe denounced the call of a local collective for the "deportation" of the prefect of Guadeloupe, Alexandre Rochatte, whom he accuses of poor management of the health crisis.

A video signed "Gwada Anonymous" circulating on social networks for several weeks also deals with "dogs" the prefects as well as the director and director of the Regional Health Agencies (ARS) of Martinique and Guadeloupe, calling for the destruction of "their regional agencies health centers and their vaccinodromes ", as well as their homes.

Ary Chalus and Emmanuel in Paris, July 8, 2019 LUDOVIC MARIN AFP / Archives

Ary Chalus, the president of the Guadeloupe Region, who was committed to vaccination "according to the free choice of each", acknowledges having also been "threatened on social networks (by) a lady" without filing a complaint.

"We're used to it," he puts into perspective.

- "politicized" debate -

"For some time now, I stopped communicating and talking about it on social networks because I realized that the exchanges between pro-vax and anti-vax were too tense", confides Jocelyn Sapotille to AFP , president of the association of mayors of Guadeloupe, involved in favor of vaccination, deploring "a debate [which] has been politicized".

Patricia Braflan Trobo, a teacher at the University of the West Indies, told AFP that she had been the subject of "insults" on social networks following the dissemination of one of her texts on Twitter, when she wanted " to bring another voice in this debate which was confiscated by some and that people make an informed choice ".

According to the private radio RCI Guadeloupe, a host was also the subject of "insults, threats and defamatory remarks" after calling in Creole listeners to "organize", in the middle of the 4th wave, so that the list of opinions funerals announced on the radio continue to grow every day.

The group's management explains having "lodged a complaint", and denounces "such a level of hatred and such a call for violence", in a press release.

"The excesses observed in recent days challenge us and distress us as much by their ferocity as by the unreason which inspires them", underlines at the same time a group of lawyers in an open letter, calling for "a Guadeloupean start for the return to a peaceful debate ".

Asked about the threats, Gaby Clavier, UTS-UGTG union delegate from the CHU of Guadeloupe, told AFP, "understand the anger".

"We are told that most of the deceased are not vaccinated (but) the essential problem is the prior medical care, screening, treatment and early care", further denounces Mr. Clavier.

The entrance to the Pointe-à-Pitre University Hospital on September 3, 2021 Carla BERNHARDT AFP / Archives

Tuesday, the UGTG and the LKP, a collective which brings together around fifty trade union, associative, political and cultural organizations, in turn lodged a complaint with the prosecutor of Basse-Terre.

To "note the bankruptcy of the administration, the ARS, the prefect, the CHU and health establishments".

© 2021 AFP