French Court Rejects Parents' Appeal in Pesticide-Linked Child Cancer Case

The court upheld limited compensation for the parents but dismissed claims for the suffering endured by their late daughter and other family members.

The Rennes Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal by the parents of Emmy Marivain, an 11-year-old who died of leukemia linked to her mother’s pesticide exposure during pregnancy.
The court declared the parents' claims on behalf of their daughter as legally inadmissible but upheld compensation of €25,000 each for the parents' moral damages and €2,500 for funeral costs.
The family sought additional recognition and compensation for Emmy’s suffering and the emotional toll on her siblings and grandmother, which were not granted.
The case has drawn attention to the broader issue of prenatal pesticide exposure, with six similar cases reviewed by the French Victims of Pesticides Compensation Fund by the end of 2023.
The mother, a former florist, has vowed to continue advocating for accountability, citing a lack of warnings about the dangers of pesticide exposure in her profession.