Breast implant scandal bosses 
met by protests as trial begins

Jean-Claude Mas, who founded and ran implant-maker Poly Implant Prothese, is among those accused. The now-defunct company had claimed its factory exported to more than 60 countries as one of the world’s leading implant makers.

The implants, which officials say are prone to rupture and leaking, were given to more than 125,000 women worldwide, 42,000 of them in Britain, until sales ended in March 2010. Of those, more than 5,000 are joining the trial as victims, saying the executives misled them into believing the implants were safe.

The vast majority of the implants were for cosmetic reasons. The rest were for breast reconstruction, often following cancer surgery. Within France, about a quarter of the implants malfunctioned, most by rupturing and leaking silicone, according to the government.

Nathalie De Michel, who had the implants, said she wanted Mas to acknowledge responsibility. “We have the impression that he doesn’t care. I want him at least to recognize that he made mistakes. When you fight against cancer, you fight to survive, and if after they put some garbage in your body, what’s the point of fighting for life?”

Mas declined to comment as he entered the court in Marseille to face the women for the first time.

Doctors and scientists who have followed the case say medical complications stemming from the ruptures and leaks appear to be limited, with rashes and localised pain the most common complaints. But lawyers for the women – more than 300 from around the world who joined the month-long trial – say the full effects will not be known for years to come.

Nataly Lozano, a Colombian lawyer who said she represents 1,500 women she says have had problems with the PIP implants, said she came to Marseille to seek justice for clients who lack the resources to pay for follow-up care.

“I could name very difficult cases of women who don’t even have means to undergo exams and know what state their implants are in,” she said.

The French government recommended that women have their PIP implants removed and about a third followed the advice.

In Britain, the government left the choice up to women and their doctors, but recommended that the implants be removed if there was a sign of rupture.

The company ultimately went out of business, and regulators across Europe began demanding calls for tighter oversight of medical devices. Mas has said he is ruined financially.

According to various government estimates, over 42,000 women in Britain received the implants, more than 30,000 in France, 25,000 in Brazil and 15,000 in Colombia. Venezuela, where PIP implants were hugely popular.