Overview
- Proceedings began Thursday in Avignon, where Aurélie S. told the court she does not recognize the allegations and faces a potential life sentence.
- Forensic reports state both baby girls were viable at birth, with the first dying after several days from cranial trauma and the second dying shortly after delivery due to lack of care and an uncut umbilical cord.
- The defense argues the first death followed a fall down stairs and the second followed an unrecognized pregnancy and difficult home birth, rejecting any intent to kill.
- Investigators say the bodies were stored in a household freezer for years and were discovered in 2022 after a friend of the defendant’s teenage daughter contacted police.
- The court heard initial testimony on the defendant’s background and family dynamics, with her three daughters and the babies’ fathers present as civil parties during a trial slated to run into next week.