Laurent Simon found that his son, Ange, had died months earlier and, in a double tragedy, Bordeaux College Hospital is now demanding hundreds from him
Father hears about son’s tragic loss of life months late (inventory) (Picture: Getty)
Laurent Simon, a resident of Saint-Maurice-Colombier, close to Montbéliard in japanese France, was first given the devastating information of the loss of life of his son, Ange, in September 2025.
Nevertheless, Ange, a 39-year-old homeless man, had truly died a number of months earlier, in April. His physique had been stored at Bordeaux College Hospital throughout that point, and the hospital is now demanding €3,800 (round £3,310) from his father, stories ICI Belfort Montbéliard.
Ange’s physique was found inside a automobile at a carpark within the city of Bouliac, close to Bordeaux. The younger man had a strained relationship along with his household after scuffling with dependancy.
Laurent Simon subsequently solely heard about his son’s loss of life because of “a hearsay unfold” by individuals who had been near him, the media outlet stories, which prompted the daddy to contact Belfort City Corridor and enquire a couple of loss of life certificates.
He then had it confirmed that his son’s physique had been at Bordeaux College Hospital for a number of months, within the hospital mortuary. His stays had been about to be buried within the “poor folks’s plot” of the municipal cemetery, ICI stories.
Homeless folks tents in France (inventory) (Picture: Getty)
The heartbreaking scenario has change into much more tough for Laurent Simon to simply accept provided that the hospital has despatched him a invoice for storage prices.
“In the event that they’d instructed me within the days following his loss of life, I’d have come right away and sorted issues out with the funeral house,” he stated.
In response, the hospital issued a press release to ICI, which learn: “Bordeaux College Hospital understands the misery this example might trigger.
“Nevertheless, it needs to be famous that the hospital has neither the accountability nor the authority to hint the households of the deceased. This can be a matter for different authorities.”
The administration of the Bordeaux College Hospital continued: “With regard to billing, the prices incurred relate to the storage of the physique within the mortuary for an prolonged interval.
“These prices fall inside the scope of funeral bills. As the prices of storing the physique are legally handled as funeral bills, they continue to be payable underneath the circumstances laid down by legislation.”
Beneath French legislation, hospitals are underneath no obligation to trace down the kinfolk of a deceased particular person, as that is the accountability of the executive authorities. Our bodies are stored within the mortuary freed from cost for only some days (between three and 6), after which a price is charged.
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These prices are legally handled as funeral bills, payable by the heirs. If no household may be recognized, the native council will organise a funeral, however it could ultimately search reimbursement of the prices from the kinfolk if they’re discovered.
In keeping with the marketing campaign group Les Morts de la Rue, this tragic scenario isn’t an remoted case. Family of homeless folks might solely be taught of their member of the family’s loss of life at a late stage, because of a scarcity of contact. The group factors out that in 2025, 956 homeless folks died on the streets in France.
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