“We are far from the gesture of humor, the slap which escapes and constitutes, already in itself, violence. There, there is a certain repetition, a preparation, a way of doing things,” informed the judge, this Tuesday, November 26, to explain the decision of the Mont-de-Marsan judicial court. In front of her, a 29-year-old woman, dressed in black as deep as her eyes are empty.
This mother, isolated and already followed as part of an educational assistance measure, came to settle in Mont-de-Marsan to take care of her sick mother. “I think the girls didn't cope with the move, or my new partner. Their behavior has changed,” she says laconicly.
When they break a glass, crush a lipstick or argue, the mother grabs a white curtain rod and uses it as a flogger. She hits the soles of the feet of her little girls, aged 5 and 8. During a school trip, the bruises are noticed. A report is made. “We must not talk about it, mother will kill us,” begs the eldest. The two children are sheltered.
Another picture
Around ten bruises were discovered on the younger girl. A little less on the eldest. Psychologically, the duo is marked by the anxiety of abandonment and the fear of no longer seeing their abusive mother. One “very self-effacing, only thinks she exists when the adult authorizes her to do so,” notes the psychologist.
The eldest is rather “calm but jealous of her sister who has a strong character and has been difficult since her father left prison”, justifies the mother who admits to having been “overwhelmed by the behavior of her daughters, who show another image of themselves in public.
The violence is partially admitted by this woman, “recognized as a disabled worker, unemployed and who has just filed a file for over-indebtedness”, recalls the judge. “Have you been the victim of domestic violence at the hands of the father of your daughters? », she is confirmed.
Breaking the cycle of violence
Me Frédéric Lonné, for little girls, insists: “There is no childish abnormality with behavioral disorders. We are faced with two little ones with bodies covered in bruises. » He also underlines the pernicious nature of the beatings underfoot: “Violence localized where it cannot be seen. »
The public prosecutor continues: “The cycle of violence must be interrupted. The violence is harmful for the woman and her children, who will have to live with these scars. » It calls into question the exercise of parental authority.
In defense, Me Manon Valentini makes her client's voice heard: “A woman who has educational deficiencies and who is paralyzed by shame, by guilt. » She is sentenced to eight months in prison and must pay 2,000 euros for moral damages to each of her daughters. “There is no withdrawal of the exercise of parental authority,” concludes the judge, taking into account the steps taken by the mother since the placement of the little girls for their psychological care.
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