Following investigations by the police in Marseille the founder of Poly Implant Prothèse (PIP) has been arrested at his home in south-eastern France. According to police sources Jean-Claude Mas, whose company manufactured breast implants containing silicone that had not been approved for this purpose, is now in police custody while a juge d’instruction (investigating magistrate) considers whether criminal proceedings should follow.
At the same time a former director of the company, Claude Couty, has also been arrested. It is understood that he denies having been responsible for what happened and blames the company’s founder, saying that it was he who took all the decisions.
It is expected that the investigation into this health scandal could take several years. In the meantime, there are estimated to be as many as 400,000 women worldwide (of whom about 40,000 are English) with implants produced by PIP. They will undoubtedly be keen to see what happens next and whether they will be entitled to claim damages from anyone either in France or in the country where the procedure was carried out.
