A criminal court in Hainaut, sitting in Mons, has found a GP from Soignies guilty of involuntary manslaughter following the death of a 19-year-old man in January 2018.
The doctor received a two-year suspended sentence. Civilly, he must pay compensation of 30,000 euros to each of the victim's parents.
The case dates back to 24 January 2018, when the young man was found dead at home. Emergency teams were unable to revive him. An autopsy pointed to respiratory distress caused by a combination of methadone and diazepam, leading to pulmonary oedema.
Six days earlier, the man had been prescribed methadone by his GP. Investigators said he did not appear to be dependent on opiates but did consume anxiolytics and other substances. The prosecution argued that the prescription of a substitution treatment was inappropriate and dangerous.
The doctor, who had treated the patient since childhood, said he acted on what the young man told him about alleged heroin use. No biological test was carried out to confirm opiate consumption, something criticised by both the prosecution and the civil parties.
