TRIAL BUILDING; MAN WITH FILES; PARENTS OF DEFORMED CHILDREN; ACCUSED; COURT SCENES.




Initials JP/V/PW/PC



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: THE "THALIDOMIDE TRIAL" - THE BIGGEST MEDICAL COURT IN WEST GERMAN LEGAL HISTORY - BEGAN AT ALSDORF, ABOUT 40 MILES (64 KMS) WEST OF COLOGNE, TODAY (MONDAY). SEVEN TOP EXECUTIVES OF CHEMIE GRUNENENTHAL, THE GERMAN FIRM WHICH PUT THE TRANQUILLISER DRUG ON THE MARKET IN 1957, FACE CHARGES OF CAUSING BODILY HARM WITH INTENT AND THROUGH NEGLIGENCE, NEGLIGENT KILLING AND VIOLATING GERMAN DRUG LAWS. PROCEEDINGS ARE LIKELY TO LAST AT LEAST TWO YEARS.

THE TRIAL IS BEING HELD AT A CONVERTED MINERS' SOCIAL CLUB IN THE SMALL TOWN. THREE JUDGES AND TWO LAY ASSESSORS WILL HAVE TO SIFT THROUGH 600-THOUSAND PAGES OF OFTEN COMPLICATED MEDICAL EVIDENCE, WHICH TOOK FIVE YEARS TO PREPARE. SIXTEEN LAWYERS ARE APPEARING FOR THE ACCUSED AND RANGED AGAINST THEM ARE FOUR PUBLIC PROSECUTORS AND FIVE LAWYERS, BRIEFED PRIVATELY ON BEHALF OF MORE THAN 500 ALLEGED VICTIMS TO THALIDOMIDE.

THE PROSECUTION WILL TRY TO PROVE THAT CHEMIE GRUNENENTHAL FAILED TO TEST THE DRUG PROPERLY; THAT THALIDOMIDE WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR DEFORMITIES IN BABIES AS WELL AS SOMETIMES INCURABLE NERVOUS DISORDERS IN ADULTS; AND THAT THE ACCUSED FAILED TO WITHDRAW THE DRUG SOON ENOUGH WHEN WARNED OF ITS DISASTROUS SIDE AFFECTS. THE PARENTS OF 23 CHILDREN WHOSE DEFORMITIES ARE BLAMED ON USE OF THE DRUG BY MOTHERS AS TRANQUILLISER DURING PREGNANCY WERE IN COURT AS PRIVATE PLAINTIFFS. MORE THAN 200 NEWSMEN COVERED TODAY'S OPENING BUT THE REST OF THE TRIAL WILL BE CLOSED TO PHOTOGRAPHERS.