Tours Criminal Court
Today, I say to myself: what rubbish. Sylvie reserves this term for alcohol. From 2016, drinking became his refuge to face a difficult dismissal, then the trials of life. In a blended family of nine children, they all share the same daily routine. Drinks as a couple in the evening and “mom who can’t drink alcohol”. The youngest siblings talk about their mother’s falls, the bruises, but above all the insults she utters. “Before alcohol, we got along well with her”explains one of Sylvie’s daughters.
The couple gave birth to a child together, now aged 14. The youngest child, still under her parents’ roof, she is the one who suffers the verbal violence between her two parents, but also against her, when alcohol is present. “She can say I love you and the next day insult you. » Children’s words are sometimes harsh. Sylvie, at the helm, struggles to hide her emotion.
A suicide attempt, the trigger
She now knows that the conflictual climate between the two parents already constitutes violence for her daughter. “We usually say that witnessing a scene of violence between your parents is equivalent to witnessing a scene of war”recalls Anne-Sophie Morel, representative of the public prosecutor.
The teenager’s suicide attempt, on June 25, 2024, marks the starting point of the procedure. It was not Alain nor Sylvie who called the firefighters, but the mother of one of the young girl’s friends. The couple claims they were unaware of the seriousness of what was happening until mid-afternoon. When they arrive at their daughter’s bedside, emergency services have already been notified.
While Sylvie becomes aware of the addiction, her partner seems largely in denial, which concerns the magistrates. The couple is described by the civil party’s lawyer as “self-centered, thinking only of their own love”.
Six months probationary suspension required
The teenager is described as peaceful since she has been living with her paternal aunt. “She wants to see her parents again, but no longer wants to live with them,” underlines his advice, Me Laurie Claire.
In defense, acquittals are pleaded. “Being a parent is perhaps the greatest challenge we have to endure”argue Me Ludovic Baustier, who comes to oppose “what is morally reprehensible and what is criminally reprehensible”.
Six months in prison with suspended probation are requested by the public prosecutor, with an obligation of care. “I do not want the withdrawal of parental authoritysays the prosecution. This teenager needs her parents and I believe in improvement through follow-up. » The judges will make their decision on November 5, 2024.
