A man in southern France made a horrifying discovery inside his family home after a dispute with his wife, finding the remains of five decomposing babies concealed in cardboard boxes just one day after she had reportedly given birth there.
The 32-year-old woman, whose identity is protected under French legal restrictions, had allegedly been arguing with her husband on Monday about what was inside the boxes at their residence in Orange, a historic town in the Vaucluse region, The US Sun reported.
According to reports, she had delivered a healthy baby boy at home the previous day. During the argument, she began complaining of stomach pain and was taken to a hospital — leaving her husband at the house, where he then uncovered the disturbing scene.
“The husband stayed behind when she was taken to hospital, and looked inside the cardboard boxes they had been arguing over – that’s when he found the five dead babies,” a source involved in the investigation said, according to The Sun.
The same source said the remains were in an advanced state of decomposition, adding that they appeared to have been there “for quite a while.”
Investigators said the cardboard boxes were found on the second floor of the home and had been placed together inside a large plastic bag.
Local outlet Le Parisien reported that the husband had been angered after only recently learning his wife was pregnant, despite allegedly asking her about it three times and being told she was not.
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After finding the bag, the husband reportedly brought it to the hospital, where staff alerted police to the shocking discovery, a source close to the case told Le Parisien.
A forensic pathologist confirmed that the remains were of five infants — with further autopsies expected to be carried out.
The husband “stated he knew nothing about his partner’s potential pregnancies,” according to the Carpentras prosecutor’s office, which is probing the incident. The husband was subsequently released.
The wife remains hospitalized and has not been taken into custody or questioned by investigators, according to the prosecutor’s office.
Since the horrifying discovery, child welfare services are monitoring the situation considering the couple share two other children, an 8 and 12-year-old.
A provisional placement order has also been issued for the newborn pending referral of the case to a juvenile judge.
The couple, who reportedly had no history of problems, were described as “charming people” to French outlet AFP by neighbor Florent Jean, who said they were both in their 30s and had moved into their home two years earlier.
The wife was a stay-at-home mother, while the husband worked, according to the neighbor, who said the couple were “normal people, really.”
