Mother’s partner released after discovery of five dead infants

Orange – 31 July 2026: After five dead infants were found in an apartment in the southern French town of Orange, the mother’s partner was released from police custody without charge. According to his lawyer, the man knew nothing about possible earlier pregnancies of his partner. He was initially questioned without coercive measures and was taken into police custody on Wednesday. The measure ended on Thursday without the public prosecutor’s office initiating criminal proceedings against him.

In the couple’s apartment, investigators discovered the remains of four infants and the body of another newborn. The Carpentras public prosecutor’s office subsequently opened an investigation on suspicion of killing a minor under the age of 15. The exact legal classification will depend on the further investigation.

According to information released so far, the partner made the discoveries and alerted the authorities. His lawyer said her client had not been informed about the alleged earlier pregnancies. This is the defense’s account; criminal police investigations and forensic examinations are expected to shed light on what happened.

Key questions include when the five children were born, under what circumstances they died and how long their bodies or remains had been in the apartment. The public prosecutor’s office and police have not yet released any conclusive findings. In addition to the evidence secured in the apartment, medical and forensic expert reports are likely to be particularly important in reconstructing the events.

The case became known after the woman gave birth to a healthy child at home on Sunday, 27 July, and subsequently received medical care. The partner is said to have been concerned after the late discovery of this pregnancy. According to the information, he initially found the body of an infant in the apartment and alerted emergency services. During the subsequent search, the other remains were secured.

The public prosecutor’s office also involved child protection services to assess the situation of the family’s two older children. The newborn born on 27 July was temporarily placed elsewhere. A family court is to decide on further protective measures. Such decisions serve the children’s safety and do not in themselves permit any conclusion about the parents’ criminal responsibility.

The partner’s release does not end the proceedings. It merely means that, following his police custody, investigating authorities have for the time being taken no criminal action against him. The investigation by the Carpentras public prosecutor’s office into the deaths of the five infants is continuing.