The stepfather and mother of a three-year-old girl were indicted for murder of a minor and placed in provisional detention after the death of the child in the night from Saturday to Sunday in Conches-en-Ouche (Eure), according to the prosecutor's office of Evreux cited by AFP. Last weekend, "the gendarmerie (...) were contacted by the fire brigade and the Samu, themselves called by the girl's parents to their home because the child was in cardiorespiratory arrest. The house was in a state of dirt and deplorable hygiene, "said the prosecutor of the Republic of Evreux Rémi Coutin.
The little girl died after arriving at Rouen University Hospital. The medical certificate indicates that she had multiple bruises on her body, some recent and others older. "It appears from the hearings of the couple that the girl was obviously the victim of frequent violence, repeated at least for several months, by both parents," said the magistrate.
Recurrent violence
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It seems that the little girl was absent from school all the week before the incident. The investigating judge will question the fact that the situation of this little girl, victim of regular violence, has not been reported. Neither the prosecutor's office, nor the gendarmerie nor the child welfare services had been informed, "said Coutin, indicating that a judicial investigation was opened Monday. In addition, the magistrate pointed to "another potentially problematic element". "A friend of the couple had seen the child a few days before, she was concerned. She wanted to call 119 to report the situation. He was asked to call back because all the operators were busy. She didn't have time to do it afterwards."
The older brother, aged six, was present on the evening of the incident and was also subjected to violence. It has been placed in the care of child welfare services. Both respondents are unemployed. The 27-year-old mother was fined for drug use in 2020. The 29-year-old stepfather was convicted five times between 2015 and 2019 for traffic offences, as well as rebellion and serious degradation. "We are in a drama of isolation, poor housing, addiction. They lived in total destitution," said Jérôme Pasco, mayor of this Normandy town of 5000,<> inhabitants.