Parents Charged After Twin Girls Die of Dehydration
A mother and father have been charged after two 15-month-old twin girls were found dead in their bed, while another child remains in critical condition in hospital. The incident occurred in Beuvrages, near Valenciennes in northern France.
At around 1pm on Monday, June 29, emergency services responded to a call from the parents reporting that the girls were unresponsive. An autopsy performed on Tuesday, June 30, confirmed the twins died of dehydration and were also underweight, according to The Daily Star.
Four Siblings Also Suffering from Dehydration
The couple's four other children, aged three, four, five, and six, were found to be suffering from dehydration. One of the siblings has been airlifted from the home and remains in critical condition in hospital, as reported by RTL. The parents reportedly found the twins dead in bed, and sources in France claimed the bodies were in a state of rigor mortis.
Legal Proceedings and Child Welfare
The Valenciennes prosecutor's office confirmed the parents were formally charged and remain in custody. The siblings of the deceased twins have been taken into care by Child Welfare Services. According to LeParisien, the prosecutor's office stated that the family "was not under the supervision of a juvenile court judge" and no prior report had been filed.
The parents told police they had put the girls to bed on Sunday evening, June 28, at around 7pm. They were found dead 18 hours later. The mayor of Beuvrages noted that the family had recently moved into the area about two months ago.
