According to the representative of the public prosecutor, the suspect would have designed a Machiavellian plan aimed at making her ex-companion suffer before ending her life.
The foundations of the Meurthe-et-Moselle were the scene of a shocking trial. A mother, Ingride Jesus Van Der Kellen, is accused of having taken the life of her two young children in February 2022.
A premeditated act?
The attorney general requested life imprisonment with 22 years of security against the accused. According to her, Ingride Jesus Van Der Kellen’s action would not be a simple burst of madness, but rather a premeditated act aimed at harming her ex-companion. “ This is normal for infanticide, and even more so for double infanticide! ».« A child is not supposed to remain a child forever (…) and yet Emma will never be three years old, Edwin will never walk », Summoned the prosecutor. The psychiatric experts delivered divergent opinions on the criminal responsibility of the accused, some citing an alteration of discernment at the time of the facts.
A complex family context
The couple was experiencing difficulties, particularly linked to the mother’s alcoholism. The father of the children had decided to leave the family home, a decision which would have been the trigger for the tragedy. The accused, very affected by this separation, would have sought revenge by beating her children. Before the alleged facts, the accused had already shown signs of violence by attacking her partner with a hammer, in a context of separation and difficulties linked to the mother’s alcohol problems. During the trial, the accused, very emotional, burst into tears several times. She also expressed suicidal thoughts, thus interrupting her interrogation.
Indelible after-effects
The father of the children, deeply affected by this tragedy, testified to his pain and dismay. “ I miss my children, every day “, he lamented.
The verdict of this trial is being followed with great attention. It will be necessary to determine whether Ingride Jesus Van Der Kellen was aware of her actions at the time of the act and to determine the extent of her criminal responsibility.
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