To open their Christmas presents last Monday, a mother in her thirties took her seven-year-old daughter to her father’s house. The parents are in the process of separating and wanted to spend the festive season together, according to our colleagues at France Bleu.
But the morning got off to a very bad start, as neighbours were alerted by "The noise and shouting are calling for help". When the gendarmerie officers arrived, the mother and her daughter were "in a pool of blood", according to the same source. The father stabbed them several times with a kitchen knife before turning the knife on himself. The young woman and her daughter were admitted to hospital in a critical but stable condition. They have suffered serious abdominal injuries.
The father, who sustained minor injuries, was interviewed by investigators on Wednesday morning. During his interview, he explained that he could not cope with the separation from his wife. IHe was charged with attempted murder and remanded in custody.