THE trial of telecoms giant Orange and seven current and former managers for “moral harassment” and the creation of a bullying culture that sparked a wave of suicides among staff began in Paris today.

The trial is the largest ever for “moral harassment” and breaks new ground in seeking to hold top management to account for suicides, suicide attempts and cases of serious depression among staff they did not know personally.

Thirty-five employees of the firm, then known as France Telecom, took their own lives in 2008 and 2009.