The deputy prosecutor who pleads for the public prosecutor sees herself again. “I was on duty that night, we must realize the anguish of the workers who found, in an open house, a 14-month-old baby”she recalled.
A baby born in March 2023, just over a year old at the time and whose only parent is his mother, now 22 years old. The father died a violent death a few months before. This day in April 2024, west of Indre, the young woman is invited to an evening, she declines. But the two friends who invited her notice, via an application, that her location has changed and that she is not at home.
The two women went to his home, they say in their testimony that they had been worried for some time about the care of the baby, seeing the mother present at parties. “They say they had a presentiment”describes the president of the court. The front door of the house is open. They find the baby, alone in his room, crying “with the diaper full of urine and the mattress soaked”. The gendarmerie was notified and arrived at the accommodation at 2 a.m. The young woman is wanted, her phone will only ring once, she will say she does not remember having answered.
“I did not realize the seriousness of my act”
It was only at 7 a.m. that the young woman discovered the calls and then returned home. Her baby, hospitalized overnight, is the subject of a placement order. “That day, I changed him, I made him eat, he was colicky. I didn't want anything to happen to him. I'm not a bad mother”says the young woman. She had to answer before the court for the facts of “abandonment of children”.
In a somewhat automatic way, she describes a state of distress at the time. “I didn’t have the courage to call for help. » The beginning of April coincided with his partner's birthday. That day was exceptional according to her, previously, she had only been gone for an hour or two. “I left my baby alone but just to go to the cemetery”explains the young woman. Statements that the public prosecutor and M.e Tayon who, for Udaf 36, appointed ad hoc administrator, defended the rights of the baby.
The young woman, during this evening, only felt “the need to be me, to forget my worries”. A distress heard by the public prosecutor. “What we blame you for, on the other hand, is not having ensured the safety of your child”points out the deputy prosecutor. “At the time, I did not realize the seriousness of my act”she replies when questions arise about the list of dangers faced by the baby. “That evening, on purpose, you were not reachable! » recalls the prosecution.
-“The child is fine”
The little boy has since been entrusted to the care of his grandparents, the mother's parents, who also returned to live with them. “Today, things are better, I can talk about my partner, it makes me feel good. I'm really coming to terms with the fact that he's gone. » The young woman unabashedly admits that her path remains long. “Today, I will not be able to take care of my son properly alone. We are thinking of extending the placement: I have to finish my studies, find a job…”, describes the latter.
The child's situation is currently favorable for Udaf. “Today the child is doing well and she is investing in her role as a mother. » A pleasing picture conceded by both the prosecution and the civil party. “But for an exemption from punishment, the damage must be repaired, this is not the case”warned Me Tayon.
Harsh words swept away by a convinced speech from Me Guint, the defendant's lawyer. “There are no after-effects, this little one is fineshe insisted. What this young woman experienced is everything we fear experiencing in one lifetime. She had an unbearable daily life that rested on her two young shoulders. »
The court finally reclassified the acts of neglect of children as removing a parent from their protection obligations. She was ordered to complete a parental responsibility course and to pay one euro in damages to her son.
