A severely undernourished four-year-old girl was found lying next to her mother's lifeless body, apparently trapped with the corpse for several days in an apartment in Montagnac, France. The 40-year-old mother, who reportedly suffered from epilepsy, was discovered dead around midday on Thursday, June 4, in a flat in Montagnac, near Pézenas, in France's Hérault department.
The child was discovered beside the body, suffering from malnutrition, dehydration, and shock. She was rushed to hospital and is now said to be in good health. She is being cared for by a family member and receiving treatment. As of June 11, investigators were leaning towards the possibility that the death was due to natural causes. Neighbours reported hearing nothing out of the ordinary and saw no signs of violence or forced entry.
Investigation and Autopsy
An autopsy will need to be carried out, but authorities suspect the mother may have suffocated following an epileptic fit. The girl was reportedly too young to unlock the door to seek help, and the key was said to be left in the lock, reports the Mirror US.
Thankfully, the child's nursery school teacher alerted the police after realising she hadn't turned up for school. She reportedly received no response from the mother or her family. However, French news outlet Actu.fr also reports that concerns were raised when the mother hadn't responded to relatives and neighbours since Sunday, May 31.
Community Response
Philippe Audoui, first deputy mayor of Montagnac, told Le Parisien: "She wouldn't have lasted another day." Her mum resided alone with her and wasn't believed to have a partner, with residents describing the family as "discreet". A psychological support team was set up to assist those who witnessed and were left traumatised by what 7sur7 described as an "indescribable scene of horror".
The Pézenas gendarmerie is spearheading the investigation, working alongside the public prosecutor's office in Béziers. One of the police officers described the scene to Le Parisien. They said: "It was a horrific scene that really upset me. We often see dead bodies, but this... As soon as the door was opened, we realised: there was a foul stench."
Speaking about the child, the officer added: "She screamed when she saw all those people around her." In additional details, four officers reportedly arrived at the home, located in a small social housing estate in a town of about 4,880 residents. After pressing the doorbell and knocking, they were met with silence. Local gendarmes were alerted, and firefighters positioned a ladder to the first floor before forcing entry through a window to access the property.
