The investigation established that Tony's ordeal, three and a half years old, started more than a month before his death, on November 26, 2016. He was the victim of repeated violence by his stepfather in a family lockup that no one prevented. Neither the boy's mother, who was prosecuted for failing to assist a person in danger, nor the neighbors, who nevertheless heard Tony's cries, neither the family and friendly entourage, nor the school which had nevertheless noticed bruises.
The beating started with the move of the mother's companion
It was the installation of the new companion that transformed the little boy's daily life into hell. In August 2016, Tony is seen in pediatric emergencies for a banal pathology, and everything is fine. "Three months before his death, no remark had been made regarding a poor state of health," said the judge in his indictment.
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The violence began after the new companion moved in, during September 2016. The first blows and first humiliations and the breakdown of relations with the paternal family. "We are implying that if the child no longer goes to his grandmother's because he is afraid of him if he no longer sees his father it is because the father was violent with the new companion", explains Olivier Chalot who represents Tony's biological father and his grandmother civil parties at the trial. "And we reverse things a bit so as to justify that the links are cut and cancel the visits."
A week under the repeated blows of the stepfather
The peak of violence takes place the week of November 21 to 26, 2016, the mother no longer takes her son to school pretending to the director "gastroenteritis". During the week, the slaps the punches rain in the belly and on the face of the little boy. "The child was covered in bruises. His nose was swollen," admits Caroline to the investigators. Yet throughout the week, she lies to her own mother who cares about Tony's condition. Then finally, on Saturday around noon, frightened by Tony's vomiting, Caroline ends up calling her mother to take the little boy, she says, to the hospital.
This is without counting a new argument that broke out with his companion. It was not until around 3 p.m. that she finally called the fire department because Tony lost consciousness. It is too late, the emergency services note the death two hours later. The repeated strokes caused ruptures of the spleen and pancreas 2 days earlier.
Mother had "several opportunities to flee"
The 27-year-old stepfather was sent to the Assize Court for aggravated death and aggravated violence. According to an expert, the accused "completely disregards the age of the victim with the establishment of a melee whose outcome became inevitable".
The mother, 22, will be tried for failing to assist a person in danger and not reporting a crime. Throughout the investigation, she admitted to having "witnessed multiple scenes of violence over a long period of time and having not reacted". The procedure established "several opportunities to flee". She was in almost daily telephone contact with her mother, she could have left the apartment to protect her son.
"This hearing is a double suffering for Tony's paternal family, explains their lawyer, relive the ordeal of the little boy and once again experience this feeling of helplessness for not having been able to prevent the worst."