France is in shock after the discovery of an underfed
and dehydrated baby girl who had been forced to live in
a car boot, apparently since birth.
The little girl, aged between 15 and 23 months, was found
by mechanics on Friday when her mother brought the car
to a garage in Terrasson, in central France.
Police said one of the mechanics heard "bizarre noises,
like moans" coming from the car boot and opened it to
discover the girl, who was naked, lying in her own
excrement, dehydrated and feverish.
The girl, who was taken to hospital following the
discovery, "was hidden, it seems since birth, and more
seriously, she is suffering from significant developmental
delays".
The girl's mother, 45, and her 40-year-old partner, both of
Portuguese origin and unemployed, were arrested and
charged on Sunday with child abuse and endangering a
minor.
Their three other children, a 4-year-old girl and two boys
aged nine and 10 - were handed over to social services.
The mother told police she had given birth in secret and
hidden the baby's existence from everyone, including her
partner, the girl's father.
Guillaume Iguacel, the mechanic who found the girl, said
that he was still reeling from the discovery.
"I'm still having trouble sleeping, it was a horrifying sight,
seeing this little girl in her own excrement, not able to
hold up her head, white as a sheet," he said.
Iguacel said the girl's mother appeared to have little
concern for her daughter.
"We were deeply shocked because she didn't find this
abnormal. We told her to remove the little girl from the
boot and give her something to drink right away," he said.
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