For 6 years, between 2005 and 2012, Lionel Guedj worked as a dentist in the northern districts of Marseille, one of the poorest areas in Europe. He promised his patients he would give them back their smiles, quickly gaining their trust. Some are surprised to leave with crowns or root canals when they were there for a simple cavity, but after all, he's the dentist — he knows best.
Lionel Guedj pulled thousands of teeth. Every day, he saw up to 70 patients, fit 28 times more crowns than his colleagues on average, and earned up to 80,000 euros a month. Enough to buy fancy cars and villas. Before his business came to a screeching halt. In this podcast, Marseille-based journalist Mathilde Ceilles recounts this young doctor's astonishing career path. From the time he set up his dental practice in the north of Marseille, to his conviction in 2022, which led to an 8-year prison sentence for deliberate violence resulting in mutilation.
With Lionel's victims, as well as his and his family's lawyers and health insurance experts, Mathilde deciphers how Lionel allegedly manipulated the Social Security system to scam the most vulnerable members of his community.
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Lionel Guedj, and his father, Jean-Claude Guedj, Marie and Noel (two of Dr. Guedj's victims, among the 300 victims who joined the civil action at the May 2023 trial), Julien Pinelli, Anna Santana-Marc (Lionel's and Jean-Claude Guedj's respective lawyers), Gilles Martha (lawyer for the Bouches-du-Rhone health insurance company).
Locations
Dr Guedj's office in Marseille's northern suburbs, the Marseille criminal court (venue for a trial involving over 300 civil parties).
Privileged content
A documentary made with journalist Mathilde Ceilles, an expert on the case, having documented all the trials, and being in contact with numerous victims.
Access to Jean-Claude Guedj's testimony.
