AILLEVILLERS-ET-LYAUMONT, France — Authorities in eastern France detain a 50-year-old woman after the bodies of two infants are discovered inside a freezer at her home, prosecutors confirm.
The investigation begins after the woman abruptly leaves the family residence in December, leaving several of her children behind. Days ago, a relative opens a freezer in the house and finds the remains of a newborn, prompting a call to police. Officers later uncover a second infant’s body stored in the same appliance.
Attention quickly turns to the mother, who is traced to Boulogne-Billancourt, west of Paris, where she is taken into custody. During questioning, she acknowledges placing the babies in the freezer shortly after giving birth, according to prosecutor Cédric Logelin.
Investigators say the newborns had been wrapped before being stored in a laundry room freezer. The suspect allegedly concealed her pregnancies by wearing loose clothing and keeping them from relatives and acquaintances.
Magistrate Christine de Curraize says the woman is unable to specify the exact dates of birth but indicates the deliveries occurred between 2011 and 2018. Her partner, also questioned by authorities, maintains he had no knowledge of the pregnancies.
An autopsy is scheduled to clarify the cause and circumstances of the infants’ deaths. A judicial inquiry has been opened on suspicion of murder of minors under 15, an offense that carries a potential life sentence. Prosecutors seek pre-trial detention for the suspect.
The case shocks residents of the village of about 1,500 people. Mayor Jean-Claude Tramesel says the community is struggling to comprehend the discovery, noting that the family had lived there for roughly two decades and largely kept to themselves. The incident follows several similar cases in France over the past decade involving newborns found in freezers, some resulting in prison sentences.