France trial begins for parents accused of child neglect death

A trial has commenced in Melun, France, for parents Noémie and Ali, who are accused of neglect that led to the death of their 20-month-old son, Malik. The child died in Savigny-le-Temple on April 19, 2019, weighing only four kilograms, significantly below the average weight of 10 to 12 kilograms for his age.

Evidence presented during the trial indicates that a pediatrician had warned the mother at the child's 11-month check-up that his weight loss was alarming and required urgent hospitalization. However, the child was never taken to a hospital and died at home from starvation.

The father testified that he was not sufficiently involved in childcare and relied on his wife's assurances that everything was fine. Psychiatric evaluations suggested the mother lived in social isolation and feared her husband's reactions, though experts noted that such isolation does not diminish parental responsibility. The parents face charges of depriving a child of care or food resulting in death.