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Letter from a physician to the Prefect giving medical details about the casualties in Notre-Dame-des-Landes

Thursday 29 November 2012

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Dear M. Prefect,

As a professionnal physician, I have been involved in Notre-Dame-des-Landes on Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th of November 2012. I have spent two days to heal the wounded. I would like to inform you about the number of casualties we had to delay with. For Saturday 24th November 11 wounds due to flashballs involving:
- Thorax for 2 persons, of which one liver lesion suspected,
- Cheek and upper lips for 1 person with a likely dental or jawbone lesion,
- Knee for 2 persons,
- Several fingers for 2 persons,
- Thigh for 2 persons,
- Ribs for 1 person with a possible rib fracture
- Wrist for 1 person 3 knee traumas, 2 wrist traumas, 1 earddrum wound 1 in chock du to teargas 1 skull wound needing 2 stiches 1 skull wound needing 15 stiches 6 wounds due to the explosion of deafening grenades, of which:
- 3 impacts in the thigh on 3 persons,
- 1 impact in the forearm of 1 person,
- 1 impact in the malleolus of 1 person,
- 10 impacts in the legs of 1 person,
- 10 impacts in the legs of 1 person, with likely lesion of the sciatic nerve,
- 1 impact in the groin of 1 person, with suspected foreign fragment next to the feromal artery. I must insist on the gravity of these wound caused by explosions. The debris penetrate deeply in the flesh with risks of artery, nerve or vital internal organs lesions. We have removed debris of 0,5 to 1 cm in diameter, either metallic or rigid plastic with cutting edges. Other, more deeply inserted, had to left where they were and will need later surgery for removal. It is impossible to forecast any secondary lesions! Bringing the casualties to hospital weren’t simple. My collegue contacted the SAMU (T.N: French Medical Emergency Service) and the firefighter’s ambulance was slowed down by police forces roadblocks, which is intolerable! I had to bring the second wounded needing urgent hospital care myself. I was hence also able to have news from a third person brought to hospital on that day. For Sunday 25th November 1 wound due to a deafening grenade with removal of a debri in the finger, 1 redoing of a plaster on a thigh, 1 ankle fracture, 1 hand wound, 1 impact of flashball on the thorax with suspected rib fracture and lung lesion. I am only showing you here a list of the most severely wounded patients. I assume that we could count about a hundred of wounded during those two days. I would also like to inform you that we can show you pictures of the lesions mentionned above. As a professional physician, I would like to stress on the gravity of the wounds inflicted by the use of weapons by the forces of law and order. This statement being completely unaffected by any partisan consideration. In the hope that my description enable a more measured use of the force. Yours sincerely,

Stéphanie L., the 26th November 2012-11-29

Copy to the Members of Parliament from Loire-Atlantique