the forensic doctor explains at the trial that she was malnourished “for 3-4 months”

The doctor who carried out the autopsy on young Amandine, who died in 2020, explained that she died of septicemia and extremely serious malnutrition.

In front of the judges, he indicated that this is the only time in his career where he has autopsied a person malnourished by a third party. Éric Baccino, forensic doctor, was at the Hérault criminal court this Wednesday, January 22 to be questioned after Amandine’s death. The 13-year-old girl weighed only 28kg on the day of her death. His mother is being tried for “acts of torture or barbaric acts leading to death”.

During the intervention of the doctor who carried out Amandine’s autopsy, a photo of the teenager, taken on the day of her death on August 6, 2020, was projected in the courtroom. The young girl is unrecognizable, extremely thin, her eyes are sticking out of her sockets, her teeth are broken, her hair seems to be missing. She also has a trace of hematoma under her eye.

“Died from malnutrition imposed by third parties”

On the stand, the doctor explains that the teenager died of septicemia and extremely serious malnutrition.

“Already a year before his death, in August 2019, his body mass index was pathological,” underlines the pathologist. “In May 2020, she saw a dentist, photos were taken of her face. And which did not seem to show a cachectic aspect (of thinness, Editor’s note).”

“If she had been able to go out between May and August, people would have noticed her state of health. She was undernourished for 3-4 months and very intensively. She died of malnutrition imposed by third parties,” concludes the lawyer.

“We had to restrict his food for several weeks”

The president of the Assize Court then asks the doctor how Amandine was able to drop to 28 kilos before her death. “We had to restrict him almost completely from food for several weeks,” replies the pathologist.

“The last few days, she must have been very weak, barely conscious. Malnourished to this point, there is a moment when thought no longer functions,” explains the professor.

“If you have the child in front of you, it is not possible not to see that she is cachectic,” the doctor declared to BFMTV at the end of the hearing, estimating that there was “50% lucky” to save her “until the day before” her death.

Sandrine Pissarra, Amandine’s mother, faces life imprisonment. The verdict is expected by Friday.