A four-year-old girl was found alive beside her dead mother’s body after apparently being trapped inside their home for several days, with officials saying she “wouldn’t have lasted another day”. Emergency responders made the heartbreaking discovery at around noon on Thursday, June 4, at an apartment in Montagnac, near Pézenas, in southern France.
The child’s 40-year-old mother, who reportedly suffered from epilepsy, was found dead inside the property. The young girl was discovered lying next to her mother’s body, suffering from malnutrition, dehydration and shock. She was taken to the hospital for treatment and is now reported to be in good health. She is under the care of a family member while continuing her recovery. Investigators were, as of June 11, focusing on the possibility that the woman died from natural causes. An autopsy is due to be carried out, but authorities believe she may have suffocated after suffering an epileptic seizure. The child was reportedly too young to unlock the door to get help, while the key was said to have been left in the lock.
The alarm was first raised after the little girl failed to turn up at kindergarten. Her teacher reportedly contacted police after receiving no response from either the mother or her family.
French news outlet Actu.fr also reported that concerns had grown after the woman failed to respond to family members and neighbours from Sunday, May 31.
Philippe Audoui, first deputy mayor of Montagnac, told Le Parisien: “She wouldn’t have lasted another day.”
Neighbours reportedly heard nothing unusual in the days leading up to the discovery, and investigators found no signs of violence or forced entry at the property.
The mother, who was not known to have a partner, lived alone with her daughter and the pair were described by local residents as a “discreet” family.
According to reports, four police officers attended the apartment, which is located on a small social housing estate in a town of around 4,880 residents.
After repeatedly ringing the doorbell and knocking without getting an answer, local gendarmes were alerted. Firefighters then raised a ladder to the first floor before forcing entry through a window to gain access to the home.
A psychological support unit was later set up for those who attended the scene after what Belgian news outlet 7sur7 described as an “indescribable scene of horror”.
The investigation is being led by the Pézenas gendarmerie in coordination with the public prosecutor’s office in Béziers.
One police officer who attended the scene described the discovery to Le Parisien, saying: “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 young girl, the officer added: “She screamed when she saw all those people around her.”
