A mother and her four children tragically killed, ranging in age from nine months to 10 years old, they were in their apartment located to the east of Paris. The local prosecutor described this violent crime as exceptionally brutal.
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The primary suspect in this horrifying incident is the children's father, who was arrested on Tuesday. On Christmas Day, neighbors noticed a pool of blood outside the family's door and immediately alerted the authorities. Later, upon investigation, the police discovered the bodies of all five victims, as shared by Prosecutor Jean-Baptiste Bladier during a press conference in Meaux.
The mother and her two daughters, aged 7 and 10, had been repeatedly stabbed throughout the night from Sunday to Monday. Additionally, the couple's two sons, aged 9 months and 4 years old, tragically lost their lives due to suffocation or drowning. The prosecutor described an apartment that was small, covered in blood stains, and in a state of extreme disorder.
The reason behind the killings remained uncertain. According to the prosecutor, the suspect, a 33-year-old man originally from Colombes in the residential area of Paris, was apprehended on Tuesday near his father's residence located northeast of the French capital.
The prosecutor revealed that the suspect had previously assaulted his partner during her pregnancy with their first child in 2019, which caused in the investigation being closed due to his mental instability at the time of the incident. Additionally, the suspect had been admitted to a psychiatric hospital in 2017 and had attempted suicide in the same year, as said by the prosecutor.
Bladier said that the couple had been in a relationship for 14 years, having known each other since their high school days.
In accordance with French law protecting minors, none of the family members' identities were disclosed.
The authorities are beginning an inquiry into five cases of murder, with the suspect being subjected to a psychiatric evaluation to find out the next steps, as informed by the prosecutor.
