The public prosecutor of Pointe-à-Pitre (Guadeloupe) and the commander of the Guadeloupe gendarmerie delivered on Tuesday the first elements of the investigation opened after the discovery of the decapitated bodies of two children, aged one year and four years, on the night of Monday November 4 to Tuesday November 5 in Sainte-Rose (Basse-Terre).
Here's what we know.
Children's bodies discovered in bathroom
The two children were found dead “in the bathroom at home” by their father, detailed Caroline Calbo, public prosecutor of Pointe-à-Pitre, during a press conference.
“The double homicide was confirmed at 3:25 a.m.,” commented General Christophe Perret, commander of the Guadeloupe gendarmerie, quoted by RCI radio. The patrol who went to the scene discovered the two decapitated children in the bathroom.
“A bladed weapon was found at the scene and will be analyzed. The home was in great disorder inside the accommodation,” added Caroline Calbo, according to RCI. “In shock”, the father, who worked night shift and raised the alarm, was taken care of by emergency services. He was also interviewed by the authorities.
The mother arrested very quickly
The mother of the two children, walking naked in the streets of the town, according to the report of the press conference by Guadeloupe la 1ère, was arrested shortly after. “A second team was dispatched and the arrest took place at 3:45 a.m. Given the delirious state of the person, the electric pulse gun was used,” said General Christophe Perret according to RCI.
The mother was hospitalized under duress, explained Caroline Calbo.
A family “unknown to the courts”
The investigation into “murder by ascendant of minors under the age of 15” was entrusted to the research brigade of the Pointe-à-Pitre gendarmerie. The autopsies of the two bodies will be conducted Wednesday and Thursday according to the public prosecutor.
“The family was unknown to the justice system, whether in criminal proceedings or in educational assistance,” specified Caroline Calbo, as transcribed by RCI.
A psychological unit was opened in the school where the four-year-old child attended, AFP learned from the rectorate. “The prefect also activated a medical-psychological unit available to all,” according to the prosecutor.
