BFMTV/RMC - Maryline Ottmann with Maxime Martinez - 06 January 2023
Delays for bereaved families who wish to have their deceased cremated are exploding. In a sector already under pressure, they can double.
January 23, 2023. When one contacts, this Friday, a crematorium in Île-de-France, it is the first date that is available for an appointment. Proof of an explosion of the delays these last weeks, in several of the 198 crematoria that counts France. For the families, the extension of the delay to say goodbye to their loved one, which can double compared to normal, is a terribly difficult moment. For the professionals of the sector, such an influx of deaths to manage and for some of them, unprecedented.
Crematoria try to adapt
In Loire-Atlantique, Jean-Pierre, who is in charge of two crematoria, confides that he has never seen anything like this since he has been a manager: "In ten years, it is the first time that we have had such a large peak... It is something exceptional".
For him, there is no question of letting bereaved families wait more than ten days for the cremation of their loved ones, as opposed to the usual four days in his establishments. In his crematorium in the Nantes region, Jean-Pierre has released 30% more slots to try to improve the situation. The same decision has been taken in the crematoria of Nice, Perpignan, Le Havre and Les Mureaux. In this town in the Yvelines, the crematorium has turned the schedule of the director, Christophe, upside down to be able to meet the demands of families.
Today, the law imposes a maximum delay of six working days between the death and the burial or the cremation. A text subject to derogations in the prefecture, which are currently running, and which is currently difficult to maintain.