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CRIME

Disgruntled patient kills dentist in Marseille

A female dentist in the centre of Marseille was shot dead Tuesday by a 71-year-old patient who was himself killed during the subsequent police intervention.

Published: 19 March 2013 13:50 CET
Disgruntled patient kills dentist in Marseille
The Mediterranean city of Marseille where guncrime is an ongoing problem for authorities. Photo: britsinvade/flickr

Marseille deputy prosecutor Christophe Barret told reporters the pensioner had turned up at the surgery with two handguns, a pistol and a revolver.

He ordered a patient being treated by the dentist out of the treatment room and immediately opened fire on the dentist, a woman in her 50s.

The shots resulted in the building being evacuated and police called. The presumed killer of the dentist was shot dead after he fired twice at officers, raising fears for the safety of at least two people who were trapped in an adjacent room.

A police source said the man had been in dispute with the practice over an unpaid bill of around 100 euros.

Although it appeared to be an isolated incident, Tuesday's shooting will add to Marseille's notoriety for gun crime and will further hamper the 2013 European City of Culture's efforts to forge a new image as a vibrant tourist destination.

The dentist's surgery was located in a tower block close to the Place Castellane, a popular central square full of restaurants and bars.

At least four young men have been killed this month in execution-style shootings linked to rival gangs battling for control of the drugs trade in the southern port's rundown estates.

A total of 24 people died in similar circumstances during 2012, giving Marseille one of the highest murder rates in Europe and prompting calls from some politicians for the army to be sent in.

On Monday the Mayor of Marseille Jean-Claude Gaudin slammed the Socialist government in Paris for not investing enough money to help tackle Marseille's gun crime issue

On Monday the Mayor of Marseille Jean-Claude Gaudin slammed the Socialist government in Paris for not investing enough money to help tackle Marseille's gun crime issue.

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CRIME

French parliament to investigate sexual abuse in cinema

The French parliament on Thursday agreed to create a commission of inquiry to investigate sexual and gender-based violence in cinema and other cultural sectors after several recent allegations.

Published: 2 May 2024 12:25 CEST
French parliament to investigate sexual abuse in cinema

The Assemblée nationale unanimously agreed to set up the commission demanded by actor Judith Godreche in a speech to the upper house, the Senate, in February.

The 52-year-old actor and director has become a key figure in France’s MeToo movement since accusing directors Benoit Jacquot and Jacques Doillon of sexually assaulting her when she was a teenager. Both have denied the allegations.

All 52 lawmakers present for the vote on Thursday approved the creation of the commission, watched by Godreche, who was present in the public gallery in the chamber.

“It’s time to stop laying out the red carpet for abusers,” said Greens lawmaker Francesca Pasquini.

The new commission is to look into “the condition of minors in the various sectors of cinema, television, theatre, fashion and advertising”, as well as that of adults working in them, it said.

On the basis of Godreche’s proposal, a parliamentary commission on culture decided to extend the scope of the inquiry to also include other cultural sectors.

It is to “identify the mechanisms and failings that allow these potential abuses and violences”, “establish responsibilities” and make recommendations.

The parliament vote comes a day after actor Isild Le Besco, 41, said in an autobiography she was also raped by Jacquot during a relationship that started when she was 16, but was not ready to press charges.

Godreche, by contrast, has filed a legal complaint against the prominent arthouse director, over alleged abuse that occurred during a relationship that began when she was 14 and he was 25 years her senior.

She has also formally accused Doillon of abusing her as a 15-year-old actress in a film he directed.

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