French government to file criminal complaint against care group Orpea

TheFrenchgovernmentplans tofileacriminalcomplaintagainsthomecaregroupOrpeaover allegations of mistreatment of elderly patients,governmentminister Brigitte Bourguignon said in a statement Saturday.

Following a month and a half-long investigation into thegroup's management and financial practices, thegovernmentfound "significant dysfunctioning in thegroup's management, to the detriment of thecareof its residents," according to the health ministry.

Thegovernmentsaid it would send its conclusions to state prosecutors and seek to recover public funds provided to the company after uncovering possible irregularities in how they were used.

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Thegovernmentis seeking to recover as much as several tens of millions of euros, corresponding to the period 2017 to 2020, Bourguignon said in an interview published in theFrenchweekly newspaper Journal du Dimanche early Sunday.

Orpearesponded later on Saturday that while thegovernmentreport "does shed light on certain dysfunctions," it also "allows us to conclude that there is no organised 'system' that would lead to widespread abuse."

"We have taken the full measure of the legitimate emotion aroused by these dysfunctions, many of which stem from the shortage ofcareand support professionals that affects us as it does the entire nursing home sector," said Philippe Charrier,Orpeachairman and chief executive officer.

A book by independent journalist Victor Castanet in January made public claims of severe failings in hygienecarein anOrpeahome for elderly people in a wealthy Paris suburb. TheFrenchgrouphas repeatedly denied systemic shortcomings and said in its statement on Saturday that it denies "several particularly serious allegations" in the book.

Thegovernmentis inspecting the country's 7,500 elderlycarehomes over the next two years and plans to reinforce legal and accounting rules to better regulategroups managing elderlycare, with a view to better transparency over the use of public funds, it said.

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