Two babies found dead in northern France, parents held in custody
In the commune of Beuvrages, two 15-month-old twins were found deceased. Four other children in the family were hospitalised for severe dehydration. The parents are in police custody.
Two babies found dead in northern France, parents held in custody
Two twin girls aged 15 months were discovered lifeless in their family home in Beuvrages, in the département of Nord, reports 24ur.com.
According to the initial investigation findings, the mother reportedly put the two young girls to bed at around 19:00 on Sunday evening. She reportedly did not return to check on them until the following morning, when she found them deceased. Emergency services were alerted around 13:30, but it was already too late to save them.
The hypotheses being pursued by investigators point to death by dehydration, a consequence of the extremely high temperatures in the room where the children were sleeping. France is currently experiencing an exceptional heatwave which has already claimed more than 1,800 additional lives nationwide.
In the same home were four other children, aged three, four, five and six years old. All were admitted to hospital due to severe dehydration. One of them, whose state of health is considered critical, had to be transported by helicopter to a specialist facility.
The father and mother are currently in police custody at the Valenciennes police station. They are under investigation on suspicion of negligence and deprivation of care and food towards their children. An autopsy will establish the exact cause of death of the two twins.
Neighbours interviewed by the local press indicated that this family had moved to the neighbourhood approximately two months ago without particularly drawing attention. The social services reportedly had not been contacted regarding them previously. The father was reportedly absent at weekends for professional reasons.
Source: 24ur