Lead poisoning at the Palace of Versailles: six people, including the former president of the CPME, tried for unintentional injuries

Six men and four companies will be tried from Monday, February 10 before the Versailles court for unintentional injuries and endangering others, accused of not having protected five workers against lead contamination on the construction site of the Royal Opera of the Palace of Versailles nearly 16 years ago.

This criminal trial is due to last until Wednesday.

During this construction site in 2009, these carpenters participating in the restoration of this 18th century opera house were contaminated with lead after inhaling dust.

"They almost died," recalls Jean-Jacques Neuer, who is defending two of them, civil parties in the trial.

This case reveals "a state of mind in our society where the lives of workers are put second," adds Mr. Neuer, indicating that no measures had been taken and no equipment had been provided to protect these workers from lead contamination.

Following complaints from the latter, an investigation was opened and the magistrate indicted the Operator of Heritage and Real Estate Projects of Culture (delegated project owner), the company Dekra (site coordinator), the architectural firm Didier, the Asselin company for the restoration of old buildings and the Château de Versailles (project owner).

The latter benefited from a dismissal in 2021.

Following the investigations, the investigating judge ordered a trial before the criminal court in December 2022 for the company Dekra and the Operator of the heritage and real estate projects of Culture, in particular for involuntary injuries with incapacity of more than three months, by manifestly deliberate violation of an obligation of safety or prudence in the context of work.

The Asselin company and its boss François Asselin will be tried on this charge, as well as for endangering others and for complicity in witness tampering.

Mr. Asselin disputes the facts, according to his lawyer, Claude Vaillant, and claims that neither he nor his company, which he has managed since 1993, was aware of the presence of lead on this site.

Until January, he was president of the Confederation of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, a position he had held since 2015.

The Royal Opera, an opera house built under Louis XIV at the end of the north wing of the castle, reopened its doors in 2009 after two years of work.