What Can an Emergency Medico-Psychological Unit Do to Assist a 17-Year-Old, Witness to the Homicide of His Sister and Victim of an Attempted Murder

Summary: The Haute-Garonne Emergency Medical-Psychological Unit (CUMP 31), comprised of five health care professionals (two nurses, two psychologists, and one psychiatrist), provides urgent medical-psychological support for traumatic incidents. In January 2024, CUMP 31 intervened following the homicide of a 16-year-old girl by her stepfather and the attempted murder of her 17-year-old brother, Marcel, who was a direct witness to the event. At the initial intervention, Marcel exhibited acute stress symptoms, including limb tremors, dissociative signs marked by an immediate lack of emotional responsiveness, and disrupted thought processes. Marcel benefited from a 48-hour phone follow-up, followed by three nursing consultations over several weeks. He was then transferred to another CUMP unit due to relocation. This case exemplifies the CUMP 31’s approach supporting direct witnesses of severe family trauma, highlighting the continuity of care from initial intervention to network-based reorientation. Over the past three years, CUMP 31 has conducted 46 immediate interventions (0-48 hours), 61 post-immediate interventions (48-72 hours), and facilitated 1,172 consultations within six months after the traumatic event, averaging three sessions per individual to treat acute stress and prevent post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Through Marcel’s story, this case underscores CUMP’s utility in managing urgent medical-psychological cases and the critical role of network coordination for the sustained support of victims and witnesses of severe traumatic events. Moreover, the increasing demand for CUMP 31’s services in cases of intrafamilial homicide may reflect a rise in family-related violence or enhanced visibility of the CUMP system, leading to heightened utilization.