“I was at the end of my tether”: a mother tried for abandoning her 7-year-old child by the side of the road

Le petit garçon a été abandonné au bord de la route. MAXPPP – Sigrid Olsson

This Monday, June 10, a mother appeared before the Vannes criminal court for violence against her child. She allegedly hit her 7-year-old son before forcing him to get out of the car.

The facts date back to May 3, 2023, on the road to Sainte-Anne-sur-Vilaine. A 7-year-old child was found by an adult, abandoned by his mother. The perpetrator was tried this Monday, June 10, 2024.

The consequences

At the hearing, the forty-year-old recognizes the seriousness of her actions, relates Ouest France. Very angry that day, she admitted to having slapped her son before forcing him out of the vehicle. "I couldn't take it anymore. I was harassed by the school for his appalling behavior, she explained. The person responsible for the incident recalls that she returned to the scene a few minutes later, but the child was no longer there. The little boy was taken care of by a "reliable adult". He then told investigators that he had received "five slaps".

The mother will cross paths with the police shortly after the incident. His case worsens when reading the alcohol screening, which will show a level of 1.5g/liter of blood. It will also be positive for drug use. On the stand, she expresses a difficult family context. "After dad died, both of us weren't doing well. I was at the end of my rope. I scream, but don't spank, she points out. His child, for his part, denounces regular violence which he seems to trivialize.

Prosecutor Maxime Antiner requested eight months in prison with suspended probation as well as ten months of driving license suspension. Judging that she also does not recognize her "educational failings", her parental authority was withdrawn.