Malnourished girl, 4, found next to dead mum ‘no one had heard from for days’

The girl, who was said to be too young to unlock the door and seek help, was found beside the body, malnourished, dehydrated and in shock and was later taken to hospital

A malnourished four-year-old child was discovered alongside her mother’s corpse after apparently being trapped with the body for several days. Emergency responders found the 40-year-old woman, who reportedly suffered from epilepsy, deceased at approximately midday on Thursday, June 4, in a flat in Montagnac, near Pézenas, in France’s Hérault department.

The girl was discovered beside the body, malnourished, dehydrated and in shock. She was taken to hospital and is now said to be healthy. The child is currently under the care of a relative and receiving medical attention.

As of June 11, the investigation was focusing on the likelihood that the death was natural. Neighbours were said to have heard nothing out of the ordinary, nor noticed signs of violence or forced entry.

A post-mortem examination will be required, though authorities suspect she may have suffocated following an epileptic seizure. The girl was reportedly too young to unlock the door to get assistance, with the key reportedly remaining in the lock.

Thankfully, the child’s nursery teacher contacted police after noticing her absence from school. The teacher reportedly received no response from the mother or her relatives.

However, French news platform Actu.fr additionally reports that an alert was raised after the mother failed to reply to family and neighbours since Sunday, May 31.

Philippe Audoui, the first deputy mayor of Montagnac, revealed to Le Parisien: “She wouldn’t have lasted another day.” The girl’s mother lived alone with her and was not known to have a partner, with locals describing the family as “discreet”.

In response to the event, a psychological support unit was set up to assist those who witnessed what 7sur7 referred to as an “indescribable scene of horror”.

The Pézenas gendarmerie is leading the investigation, in coordination with the public prosecutor’s office in Béziers. One of the police officers described the scene to Le Parisien.

They shared: “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 further details, four officers reportedly arrived at the home, situated in a small social housing estate in a town of about 4,880 residents.

After ringing the doorbell and knocking, they were greeted with silence.

Local gendarmes were notified, and firefighters raised a ladder to the first floor before forcing entry through a window to gain access to the property.