A 2-year-old child died on the night of February 18-19 in Marseille (Bouches-du-Rhône). His mother and the latter's companion were indicted, inter alia, for acts of torture and barbarity and imprisoned, the prosecutor's office said on Friday. The man was also charged with intentional homicide.
The little boy was discovered by the firefighters in a "serious condition following the call for help from the mother's companion," said Marseille prosecutor Dominique Laurens. He died "very quickly despite the intervention of the emergency services".
The man told firefighters that "the child fell on the stairs, a version which was completely incompatible with injuries to various parts of his body," said the prosecution. The autopsy revealed that the child died after being beaten and that he also had cigarette burns, according to a source close to the investigation. He had already been hospitalized several times.
Mother says she is a victim of violence
Judicial information was opened Thursday against the companion of the mother of the child, born in 1994, of the head of “voluntary homicide on minor” and “acts of torture and barbarism by ascendant or person having authority” .
The mother, in her twenties, was also indicted for "acts of torture and barbarism" by ascendant or person in authority.
According to a source close to the investigation, she admitted having witnessed the beatings and said that she was herself the victim of violence. The family had recently arrived from Spain.
Newsletter - The essentials of the news
Every morning, the news seen by Le ParisienI'm registering
Your email address is collected by Le Parisien to allow you to receive our news and commercial offers. Find out more
According to estimates probably below the reality, a child dies every five days as a result of domestic violence in France.
