French couple files protest against psychiatrist

The French couple who will find out today if their appeal against extradition has been accepted, yesterday filed a judicial protest against a consultant psychiatrist who is in charge of the forensic unit at Mount Carmel Hospital.

The spiritual leader of a French sect, Alain Schmitt, 49 and his fiancée Laurence Liegeois, 47, filed the protest against Dr Joseph Spiteri, claiming that under his care Mr Schmitt's health had deteriorated.

Ms Liegeois is currently being held at the Corradino Correctional Facility.

The couple filed the request, together with other members of his sect, also against the ministries of health and justice and the Medical Association of Malta.

In the protest, the group said that Dr Spiteri was responsible for the rapid deterioration of Mr Schmitts' health through lack of care at the forensics section of the hospital.

They added that Mr Schmitt was also being robbed of his dignity, because contact visits had been stopped.

Furthermore, Dr Spiteri had failed in his duties when he did not give the court a correct picture of Mr Schmitt's state of health when he testified during the appeal proceedings.

Lawyer Emmy Bezzina signed the protest.