Six butchers in France have been charged and placed under judicial supervision following the outbreak of E. coli bacterial infections in the Saint-Quentin region

Six butchers in France have been charged and placed under judicial supervision, more than a year after an outbreak of E. coli infections in the Saint-Quentin region. The outbreak affected 32 people and caused the death of an 11-year-old girl.

The investigation, led by the Paris Public Prosecutor’s Office, is tracing the meat suspected of being the source of the contamination. Ten people were initially detained, and six of them, owners or employees of butcher shops, were subsequently charged.

The charges under investigation include involuntary manslaughter, involuntary bodily harm, endangering the lives of others, fraud posing a risk to human or animal health, concealing stolen goods and the illegal slaughter of animals. The suspects may no longer work in butcher shops and are prohibited from contacting one another.

The investigation led to a farm near the town of Saint-Quentin, which has since been closed. According to investigators, approximately 50 sheep may have been sold for the Eid holiday, and some animals may have been slaughtered and butchered outside the authorised system.

The outbreak began in June 2025 in the Aisne department. A girl died on 16 June, while several children developed haemolytic uraemic syndrome, a severe complication of infection with certain strains of E. coli. Investigating judges have been handling the case since August 2025, and the victims’ families have filed complaints.