Law enforcement detained a 32-year-old woman on Wednesday after her partner discovered the remains of four newborns and the body of a fifth infant in boxes in their apartment in Orange, southeastern France. The prosecution informed the agency AFP about this.
The gruesome discovery occurred after the woman was hospitalized on Sunday following a home birth. According to the investigation, her partner learned about the pregnancy “late”. The prosecution in Carpentras reported that it had opened an investigation into intentional murder, and the woman was detained on Wednesday, confirming information from the newspaper Le Parisien.
According to the regional newspaper La Provence, the detention took place after the woman was discharged from the hospital. The newborn, born on Sunday, was placed under temporary guardianship, and social services were notified about the situation concerning two other minor children of the couple. The couple also had two children aged eight and nine years, who attended elementary school.
Life of the family
A neighbor, Florent Jean, who spoke with the agency AFP, described the family as living what appeared to be an ordinary life. He stated that the mother “picked up the children from school for lunch”, while her partner worked during the day. On Tuesday, the doors of the apartment on the second floor were sealed with red tape. Several bicycles leaning against the stair railings were the only signs of the family’s everyday life.
Similar cases
Infanticide cases are not uncommon. They are sometimes linked to disturbances in the mother’s mental state or psychological denial of pregnancy, which the woman conceals from those around her. In one of the most high-profile cases in France, Dominique Cottrez was sentenced in 2015 to nine years in prison for the murder of eight newborns. The court recognized that her ability to understand her actions was impaired.
Source: Clarín
