Mum arrested after newborn baby found dismembered in rucksack

26 July 2023 , 09:50

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An unnamed 21-year-old reportedly gave birth in the commune of Stains, in the Seine-Saint-Denis area in the northern suburbs of the French capital. (Image: NurPhoto via Getty Images)

A young woman has been arrested after a newborn baby was found dead and dismembered in a rucksack at her home in a Paris suburb.

An unnamed 21-year-old reportedly gave birth in the commune of Stains, in the Seine-Saint-Denis area in the northern suburbs of the French capital.

The young woman, who lives with her parents, told two of her friends, on Sunday, that she had given birth, claiming that the child was stillborn and threatening to dismember it, according to the police. Investigators believe the young woman may have given birth six days earlier.

She was reportedly arrested for voluntary homicide on a minor under the age of 15 on Sunday, but then released on Monday and hospitalised in a psychiatric facility. French prosecutors reportedly said that they had found the newborn baby "dismembered, in a rucksack, in her room".

The authorities are investigating whether or not she was aware that she was pregnant and whether the young woman was suffering from a condition called denial of pregnancy, where the woman is subconsciously aware of her pregnancy, but denies its existence.

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The police are investigating whether the parents of the young woman were aware of their daughter's pregnancy or the suspected infanticide. The investigation is ongoing.

Rachel Hagan