An investigation has been opened "to determine the exact nature" of the serious injuries of three protesters in total and "the circumstances in which" these people were injured, said prosecutor Julien Wattebled in a press release.
The organizers of the demonstration had claimed since Saturday that one of them was between life and death, without this having been confirmed by the authorities until then.
According to the same source, seven demonstrators were taken care of by the emergency services, including three in absolute emergency: a 30-year-old man with a head trauma, "whose vital prognosis remains engaged at this stage"; a 19-year-old woman with facial trauma and a 27-year-old man with a fractured foot.
A "specific" investigation, according to the prosecutor, has been opened to determine the nature and circumstances of these injuries; For the other injured, the investigations will be carried out as part of legal proceedings opened on Saturday.
The organizers of the demonstration against the construction of "basins" in the Deux-Sèvres, during a press conference in Melle, March 26, 2023 © THIBAUD MORITZ / AFP
According to the organizers, 200 demonstrators were injured, 40 of them seriously, during the violent clashes that broke out near the construction site of the Sainte-Soline basin.
"Checks are underway to determine if other people have presented themselves spontaneously in hospitals," said the prosecutor.
© 2023 AFP