Horror as newborn baby is found dead and dismembered in a backpack in a Paris home with mother, 21, detained
- Woman told friends on Sunday that she had given birth, but the child was stillborn
- But authorities suspect she may have previously given birth and killed the baby
A young mother has been arrested after a newborn baby was found dead and dismembered in a backpack at her home in a Paris suburb.
The 21-year-old woman, who has not been named, reportedly gave birth in the commune of Stains, on the outskirts of Seine-Saint-Denis, just north of the French capital.
The young woman, who lives with her parents, told two of her friends on Sunday that she had given birth, claiming the child was stillborn and threatening to dismember it, police said.
Investigators suspect that the young woman gave birth on July 17.
She was reportedly arrested for voluntary manslaughter of a minor under the age of 15 on Sunday. She was subsequently released on Monday and committed to a psychiatric facility, where doctors described her mental state as “fragile.”
The 21-year-old woman, who has not been named, reportedly gave birth in the commune of Stains (pictured), in the suburbs of Seine-Saint-Denis, just north of the French capital.
Photo shows illustrative view of Seine-Saint-Denis in France. Woman, 21, suspected of murdering and dismembering her baby’s body on Sunday, July 23, 2023
French prosecutors reportedly said they found the newborn baby “chopped up, in a backpack, in her room.”
Authorities are investigating whether she knew she was pregnant and whether the young woman suffered from a condition called pregnancy denial, in which the woman is unconsciously aware of her pregnancy but denies its existence.
Police are also trying to determine whether the young woman’s parents were aware of their daughter’s pregnancy, or of the suspected infanticide.
The investigation is ongoing.