The last jump: epidemiology of suicides at the Tour Eiffel (Paris) between 1950 and 1989Virginie Bourdin, Guillaume Mulier, Sophie Calle, Nathalie Minart & Philippe Charlier
Authors and Affiliations
Direction Département de la Recherche et de l’Enseignement, Musée du Quai Branly - Jacques Chirac, 222 rue de l’Université, 75007, Paris, France
Virginie Bourdin & Philippe Charlier
Laboratoire Anthropologie, Archéologie, Biologie (LAAB), Université Paris-Saclay (UVSQ), UFR des Sciences de la Santé, 2 avenue de la source de la Bièvre, 78180, Montigny-le-Bretonneux, France
Virginie Bourdin & Philippe Charlier
Département de biostatistiques et d’épidémiologie, Institut Gustave Roussy, 94800, Villejuif, France
Guillaume Mulier
Perrotin, 2bis avenue Matignon, 75008, Paris, France
Sophie Calle
Archives of the Police Prefecture of Paris, 25-27 rue Baudin, 93310, Le Pré-Saint-Gervais, France
Nathalie Minart
Fondation Anthropologie, Archéologie, Biologie (FAAB) - Institut de France, Palais de l’Institut, 23 quai de Conti, 75006, Paris, France
Philippe Charlier
Corresponding author Correspondence to
Virginie Bourdin.
Original Article
Published: 12 December 2023
(2023)
Dans Forensic Science, Medicine and Pathology
Abstract
The
Eiffel Tower (Paris, France) has been attracting many candidates for
suicide over the years. The aim of this study was to determine the
patterns of people who committed suicide by jumping. Permission to
access the unpublished records of the Paris Police Prefecture made it
possible to compile press articles related to suicides from April 1950
to March 1989. 155 articles corresponding to 79 cases were kept for
analysis. There were significantly more males (66%), as compared with an
expected theoretical distribution of 1/2 for each sex (p = 0.002).
Median age was 38.0 years old. Suicide peak was reached during the
months of August and October (13% for each), while February was poor in
suicides (3%). Tuesdays and Saturdays were the more impacted days.
Hourly suicide rates were 8% (morning), 11% (noon), 7% (afternoon), and
5% (evening-night). Moon phases did not correlate with suicide
occurrence. The main context described was that of a psychiatric
pathology (49%). Death occurred in 92% of the reported cases. Sex ratio,
ages, decrease during the cold season, no association with moon phases,
and underlying psychiatric pathologies were consistent with trends for
either all-cause suicides or suicide jumps from a platform. Conversely,
unusual trough in suicides on Mondays and noon peak in suicide rate have
been, respectively, attributed to small sample size and closure at
night. As jumping corresponds to both ease and proximity, we believe the
implementation of protective measures in the early 1960s succeeded in
reducing the number of suicides overall.
Source https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12024-023-00707-1
