In France, the Pesticide Victims Compensation Fund recognized for the first time that the death of an 11-year-old girl from cancer was linked to her mother’s exposure at work. This former florist, Laure Marivain, brought the case before the Rennes Court of Appeal this Wednesday to challenge the compensation proposal which limits the damage to parents only.
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Emmy Marivain, 11 years old, died of leukemia on March 12, 2022. The Pesticide Victims Compensation Fund recognized “ the causal link between the pathology » from Emmy and « exposure to pesticides during the prenatal period “, he told AFP. But, in compensating his parents, the FIVP did not take into account “ at any time of the damage suffered by Emmy », Denounced the parents’ lawyer, Me François Lafforgue.
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Emmy’s mother, Laure Marivain, was exposed to numerous herbicides in the course of her profession from the age of 20, notably while cleaning ” blue and yellow spots » on plants covered with pesticides that she received in large quantities. More than a hundred pesticides have been detected on flowers sold in Europe.
Claire Bourasseau, from the Phyto-victimes association, intends to alert public authorities to the danger posed by imported flowers. “ 85% of the flowers that are sold in France come from abroad and therefore are not produced under the same conditions as what could be done in France or in Europe. We have florists who handle plants treated with any products and for us, there really needs to be awareness among the general public, but especially among elected officials for regulations to really effectively protect workers around the world. of the flower », proclaims Claire Bourasseau.
Underestimated figures
Five cases of sick children contaminated by their florist parents are now recognized in France. But there are many more according to the Phyto-victims association: “ For children who have been exposed in utero via the parents’ professional exposure, the family can seek compensation for diseases such as brain tumors, leukemias and all neurodevelopmental disorders, autism. Today, doctors are not informed, families are not informed and this needs to be known. »
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For the moment, in the European Union, there are no regulations on the presence of pesticides in imported flowers. The hearing of the Marivain family case has been postponed until December 4.