A beekeeper claiming to cure AIDS by bee stings sentenced

Written by Sandeep Nehra

A beekeeper for 55 years caring for people with multiple sclerosis, AIDS, Alzheimer’s disease or Parkinson including bee stings, was sentenced on Monday in the Loire to six months in prison suspended for year illegal practice of medicine.

Bernard Nicollet, who defines himself as “apithérapeute apipuncteur or” must pay one symbolic euro in damages to the College of Physicians, only a civil trial in criminal court in Roanne (Loire).

This followed the main demand of the prosecutor, who called the accused a “charlatan”, to “physician self-taught, self-proclaimed, who played Russian roulette with the health of patients,” while demanding six months’ imprisonment and 10 to 15,000 euros fine.

Installed Cergne (Loire), the accused, who stood on his website wearing a white blouse with a stethoscope, used his own bees to sting his “patients” at the acupuncture points.

It also featured products from its hives, sold online, was spotted in late 2008 by AFSSAPS (French Agency for the Safety of Health Products). The latter was then accused the prosecution.

The fifties had made 21,418 euros and 50,000 euros in turnover in 2006 and 2007. He had a hundred customers. None has filed a complaint.

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