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The last jump: epidemiology of suicides at the Tour Eiffel (Paris) between 1950 and 1989

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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 Permission to access the unpublished records of the Paris Police Prefecture made it possible to compile press articles related to suicides from April 1950 to March 1989. 155 articles corresponding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.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. 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

  2. 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

  3. Département de biostatistiques et d’épidémiologie, Institut Gustave Roussy, 94800, Villejuif, France

    Guillaume Mulier

  4. Perrotin, 2bis avenue Matignon, 75008, Paris, France

    Sophie Calle

  5. Archives of the Police Prefecture of Paris, 25-27 rue Baudin, 93310, Le Pré-Saint-Gervais, France

    Nathalie Minart

  6. Fondation Anthropologie, Archéologie, Biologie (FAAB) - Institut de France, Palais de l’Institut, 23 quai de Conti, 75006, Paris, France

    Philippe Charlier

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Bourdin, V., Mulier, G., Calle, S. et al. The last jump: epidemiology of suicides at the Tour Eiffel (Paris) between 1950 and 1989. Forensic Sci Med Pathol (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12024-023-00707-1

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