The doctor, who worked for several years at Saint-Antoine hospital, where Karine Lacombe still works, denies all of the alleged facts. He nevertheless recognizes “sicky” behavior which would be “unfeasible today”.
Published on 04/11/2024 12:30 Updated on 04/12/2024 1:34 p.m.
Reading time: 3 min Emergency physician Patrick Pelloux, April 15, 2021 in Paris. (JOEL SAGET / AFP)
Towards a #MeToo in hospitals? Infectious disease specialist Karine Lacombe accuses, Wednesday April 10 in Paris Matchemergency physician Patrick Pelloux from “sexual and moral harassment”. The magazine, which investigated sexist and sexual violence in the hospital environment, obtained confirmation from the latter of the identity of the “sexual predator” whom she claims to have worked with professionally.
“Are you being upset, were you fucked badly last night?”
Near Paris MatchKarine Lacombe describes a “stalker adorned with all the marks of virility, braggart, overflowing with confidence thanks to his position of responsibility, in constant contact with women” and at “sexually dominant behavior”. She assures that in 2003, when she was an intern at the Parisian Saint-Antoine hospital, where Patrick Pelloux also worked, the female interns changed their shift schedule so as not to work with him at night. She describes recurring ribald and sexist remarks: “You’re being upset, were you fucked badly last night?”, “So, chicks don’t squeal much in this henhouse!” The latter might in particular constitute, according to the law, sexual harassment and of moral harassment.
She also mentions “episodes of humiliation” of which she considers herself the victim, following having rejected her colleague, seven years older than her. The magazine finally reports a fact which might relate to a sexual assaultwhich Karine Lacombe claims to have witnessed. “One day, an intern has her back, he grabs her by the neck and rubs his lower abdomen once morest her, ‘Mmm, don’t put yourself like that, it’s too tempting, damn it’s hot!’ The colleague smiles, embarrassed, and pushes him away.écrit Paris Matchquoting the infectious disease specialist.
Emergency doctor admits “rude” behavior
Two former Ministers of Health, Roselyne Bachelot and Agnès Buzyn, confirm having heard of inappropriate behavior by the emergency doctor towards women. Asked regarding the departure of Patrick Pelloux from Saint-Antoine in 2008, Roselyne Bachelot’s entourage assured that the former minister had chosen to“exfiltrate” the emergency doctor at the Paris Samu, where he still works. In question: “repeated accusations of verbal and sexual violence”. Contacted by franceinfo, the former minister assured that she had received testimonies showing a “harassing and humiliating management” by Patrick Pelloux, but not story of “sexual violence”.
The person concerned, who founded the Association of Emergency Doctors of France, had estimated at the time in Paris Match be a victim of union discrimination. For her part, Agnès Buzyn assures the magazine that she learned, while she was Minister of Health, that “[Patrick] Pelloux was far from having had exemplary behavior with the fairer sex.”and confirms its “exfiltration” for this reason.
“It was a joke, I have always been loyal, I was more the guy who protected the girls”, would then have assured Patrick Pelloux to Karine Lacombe, during the Covid-19 pandemic. Adding, according to her: “With #MeToo, there’s nothing we can do anyway.” To the magazine, the emergency doctor admits behavior “said”but denies all the accusations made once morest him. “I have never attacked anyone”, he defends himself. “What we said and what we did is undoable today, that’s for sure. But we had a good laugh.”he continues. “Who was actually having fun, apart from the one who was attacking?”retorts the infectious disease specialist to franceinfo.
While Patrick Pelloux threatens to “file a lawsuit” to Karine Lacombe, she assures franceinfo have to date not heard of any legal proceedings concerning her, and says she “serene” et “support by [s]we have a professional and family environment.
