Summary:
A 33-year-old French man, with a history of psychiatric issues, admits to killing his wife and four children, citing disturbing “voices” as the catalyst.
In a heartbreaking incident in Meaux, east of Paris, a 33-year-old French man, employed as a plumber, confessed to the brutal murder of his Haitian-born wife and their four children, aged nine months, four, seven, and 10 years old. The bodies were discovered on Christmas Day in their home.
The suspect, battling depression and psychotic behavior since 2017, had a disturbing revelation during police questioning. He claimed to have “heard voices” compelling him to “cause harm,” providing a chilling backdrop to the tragedy. The victims, especially the mother and her 10- and seven-year-old daughters, bore the brunt of the violence with approximately “10 stab wounds each,” inflicted with great force, according to Meaux public prosecutor Jean-Baptiste Bladier.
Autopsy results revealed that the four-year-old and nine-month-old boys tragically succumbed to asphyxia following drowning. The perpetrator, who had been under treatment since 2017, admitted to neglecting his medication on December 24, the day of the horrific incident.
The prosecutor described the suspect’s emotional state as disturbingly numb, stating that he “felt nothing” and was left “empty” after committing the heinous act. The motive remained elusive, as the man claimed he could not identify a specific trigger.
This isn’t the first time the suspect has been involved in violence. In 2019, he was detained for stabbing his pregnant partner, later attempting suicide. However, she chose not to press charges. The recent tragedy unfolded despite the suspect’s history of psychiatric treatment, shedding light on the complex and tragic intersection of mental health, domestic violence, and the profound loss of innocent lives.