Forum Views ()
Forum Replies ()
Read more with google mobile :
French mother 'relieved' after admitting baby killings
Yahoo!
My Yahoo!
Mail
More Yahoo! Services
Account Options
New User? Sign Up
Sign In
Help
Yahoo! Search
web search
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Africa
Europe
Latin America
Middle East
North America
French mother 'relieved' after admitting baby killings
AFP - Saturday, July 31
Send
IM Story
Print
French mother 'relieved' after admitting baby killings
VILLERS-AU-TERTRE, France (AFP) - – The French mother who admitted killing eight of her newborn babies is relieved her secret is finally out, her lawyer said Friday, in a case that has stunned the country.
Relatives voiced disbelief that Dominique Cottrez, 45, hid eight pregnancies and births and smothered the newborns, whose bodies were found in plastic bin bags in the quiet northern village of Villers-au-Tertre.
Colleagues who worked alongside the auxiliary nurse described her as "a pearl", with whom they would not have hesitated to leave their own kids, and struggled to comprehend the horrific story that has emerged.
Cottrez was charged with multiple murders Thursday after she admitted smothering the eight infants. Police found the skeletal remains buried in a garden and hidden under household clutter in a garage.
Related article: French village horrified by killing of eight babies
"She doesn't have to carry this on her conscience any more, and that's a kind of relief," her lawyer Frank Berton told reporters, adding that she was "tired, worn out and battered down" after her questioning.
Her husband, 45-year-old carpenter Pierre-Marie Cottrez, has not been charged and insists he had had no idea that his wife was pregnant on any of the eight occasions that led to the babies' deaths.
His lawyer said the mother must have had some psychological problem, supporting the defence's attempts to portray her as a victim of a syndrome known as "denial of pregnancy".
"Given the number of children found, we are looking at a situation of denial of pregnancy or serious psychological or psychiatric problems," said lawyer Pierre-Jean Gribouva.
According to Gribouva, the father -- with whom Cottrez brought up two surviving daughters, now adults and mothers themselves -- only discovered what had happened on Tuesday as he was being questioned by police.
"He doesn't feel vindictive towards his wife. He has the merit of wanting to understand. A family is a holy union, and the father and the children are all standing together," the lawyer said.
Stunned residents of the village near the city of Lille laid flowers at the houses where the babies' remains were found, and the French media reached out to psychological experts to try to understand how a mother could kill so many infants.
Sophie Marinopoulos, psychiatrist at Nantes maternity hospital told AFP that the theory of a "denial of pregnancy" -- which has been used as a defence in other infanticide cases -- was plausible.
"To my knowledge women do not organise their pregnancies in order to kill their children," she said.
"It is a case of psychological suffering. As long as the reasons for the problem are not removed, the problem can continue to manifest itself."
According to prosecutors, Cottrez said that after a difficult pregnancy with one of her surviving daughters she had not wanted to go back to see a doctor, even to be prescribed contraception.
Her brother-in-law Yves Cottrez described the killings as "incomprehensible", in comments quoted by the daily Le Parisien.
"And my brother saw nothing, even though he sleeps next to his wife... but Dominique was always heavily built, it didn't show when she was pregnant with her two daughters," he said.
Press reports said that Cottrez weighed 130 kilos (286 pounds).
"She was a really good nursing assistant, a pearl, a good person, very human, someone with all the right qualities," said 63-year-old Francine Caron, who worked with Cottrez at a company providing home help.
Caron said that her friend was a gentle caregiver and that she had often seen her cry when her elderly patients died.
The new owners of her parents' former home found the remains of two newborns buried in their garden as they planted a tree at the weekend.
The remains of the other six infants were later found dumped, also in plastic sacks, in the garage of her current home.
Berton said Cottrez would undergo psychological tests to determine whether she was fully responsible for her acts.
"We're in disbelief," one of the couple's daughters, Virginie, 21, told the regional newspaper La Voix du Nord. "Mum was always secretive, but she never judged us. She accompanied us and supported us."
The Villers tragedy followed a string of similar cases in France in recent years, in which isolated and troubled mothers killed their newborns.
Recommend
Send
IM Story
Print
Related Articles
Three Kenyans face 76 murder counts in Kampala attacks AFP - 1 hour 23 minutes ago
UK-World Summary Reuters - 19 minutes ago
Colombia rebels call for talks with new government Reuters - 19 minutes ago
Israel launches air strikes on Gaza - Palestinians Reuters - 23 minutes ago
Syria, Saudi leaders urge Lebanon rivals to avoid violence AFP - 57 minutes ago
News Search
Top Stories
New BP boss vows to stay the course in Gulf clean-up
Colombian guerrillas propose talks on conflict : video
US growth slows fueling recovery fears
US economic growth 'welcome sign' but more needed: Obama
New boss vows no BP pullback from Gulf oil crisis
More Top Stories »
ADVERTISEMENT
Most Popular
Most Viewed
Most Recommended
Argentine students crack three-decade-old murder mystery
Calcium supplements linked to heart attacks: study
US Fed official warns of 'Japanese-style' stagnation
At least 140 dead in DR Congo river disaster
Shell defends deep-water oil production, as profits soar
More Most Viewed »
Parachuting donkey shocks Russian beachgoers
Argentine students crack three-decade-old murder mystery
World's first full face transplant man appears on TV
Paris Hilton caught with cannabis in handbag
Quark by quark, atom smasher closing in on 'God particle'
More Most Recommended »
Elsewhere on Yahoo!
Financial news on Yahoo! Finance
Stars and latest movies
Best travel destinations
More on Yahoo! News
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Subscribe to our news feeds
Top StoriesMy Yahoo!RSS
» More news feeds | What are news feeds?
Also on Yahoo!
Answers
Groups
Mail
Messenger
Mobile
Travel
Finance
Movies
Sports
Games
» All Yahoo! Services
Site Highlights
Singapore
Full Coverage
Most Popular
Asia Entertainment
Photos
World Cup 2010
Copyright © 2010 Yahoo! Southeast Asia Pte. Ltd. (Co. Reg. No. 199700735D). All Rights Reserved.
Terms of Service |
Privacy Policy |
Community |
Intellectual Property Rights Policy |
Help
Other News on Saturday, 31 July 2010 Syrian, Saudi leaders urge Lebanon to avoid violence
France crime crackdown targets foreigners
Floods kill more than 400 in Pakistan's northwest
|
Washington Post favors audio tycoon's Newsweek bid: report
US embassy vehicles torched in Afghan capital
Israel launches air strikes on Gaza: Palestinians
|
New BP boss vows to stay the course in Gulf clean-up
US embassy staff in Paris get check-ups after suspect letter
Smartphones tempting new targets for hackers
French mother 'relieved' after admitting baby killings
Colombia rebels call for talks with new government
|
US growth slows fueling recovery fears
July the deadliest month of Afghan war for US
Japanese rescue-bot can sniff out disaster survivors
US economic growth 'welcome sign' but more needed: Obama
Berlusconi in crisis after revolt by key ally
Microsoft to confront Japan watchdog on Yahoo-Google deal
New boss vows no BP pullback from Gulf oil crisis
One charger to fit new mobiles as of next year: EU
First gay couples tie knot under new Argentine law
|
U.N. tells Darfur peace force to focus on security
|
Canadian serial killer Pickton denied new trial
|
Fire prompts evacuation of 2,000 homes north of LA
Smartphones tempting new targets for hackers
Four dead, 19 hurt in China tax office blast: state media
One charger to fit new mobiles as of next year: EU
Malaysia talent show picks 26-year-old as top 'Young Imam'
Minority Islamic sect under fire in Indonesia
Floods kill more than 400 in Pakistan's northwest
Shanghai journalists attacked after shampoo report
China says it disapproves of EU sanctions against Iran
North Korea officials seize Kim biography in Myanmar: author
Drug-tainted Japanese pop idol divorced: reports
'Nightmare' start for iPhone 4's latest launch
Emboldened RIM readies new touchscreen BlackBerry
|
US-ENTERTAINMENT Summary
Sarajevo becomes biggest regional film market
Women rise to the top in "Mad Men"
Century-old steamers inspire nostalgia in Stockholm's waters
London launches cycle hire scheme
Hugh Hefner: Rebel with a cause
Air China subsidiary to buy 10 Airbus planes: statement
Japan's Mazda narrows losses in first quarter: Kyodo
Bangladesh garment workers riot over wages
Hitachi sees $996.85 million net profit in 1Q
Audi counts on China in bid for new sales record
Japan PM pledges to press ahead with fiscal reform
Malaysia, New Zealand to launch trade pact in August
India's central bank fines Standard Chartered, ICICI
Pakistan in surprise rate rise, cites inflation risk
Japan, US recovery fears send Asian stocks tumbling
The Office to continue without Steve Carell
|
Women rise to the top in Mad Men
|
Sarajevo becomes biggest regional film market
|
Quake in northeast Iran injures 170 people
Dutch anti-Islam party to have strong voice in next govt
Smooth-talking hackers test hi-tech titans' skills
Blast hits China tax office in apparent attack
|
Hamas vows revenge after Israeli strikes on Gaza
Berlusconi split with ally erodes once comfortable majority
New BP boss faces up to massive Gulf oil clean-up
US-TECH Summary
Fidel Castro says U.S. mistreating convicted spies
|
Iran mother facing stoning pleads to see children
BlackBerry maker to launch tablet in November: report
Colombian guerrillas propose talks on conflict : video
Turkey sued in California over Armenian genocide
Quake in northeast Iran injures 170 people
|
Google not sure if China behind service disruption
Obama urges Iran to release three U.S. hikers
True/Slant website shutting down
Chavez deploys military units in Colombia row
|
Israel launches air strikes in Gaza after rocket fire
Twitter offers help in finding accounts to follow
US casualties in Afghanistan soar to record highs
Software released for attacking Android phones
Australian PM Gillard heading for defeat: new poll
|
Google agrees to delete WiFi data collected in Hong Kong
Australian PM Gillard heading for defeat
Turkey sued in California over Armenian genocide
|
Floods kill 37 in China's northeast: media
Emboldened RIM readies new touchscreen BlackBerry
Dutch close in on government with anti-Islam party backing
|
China says coal mine blast leaves 17 dead
Curfew in Indian Kashmir as fourth protester dies
Inquiry slams 'systemic failings' in killer Australia fires
Pakistan intelligence agency scraps UK visit
Arizona immigration law appeal set for November
Malay court clears Muslim of church firebomb attack
Blast hits China tax office in apparent attack
U.S. worried more secret documents may be released
Pakistan monsoon floods kill more than 400
Polls turn against Australian PM Gillard
Ore. district attorney says no Gore prosecution
Ariz. governor considers changing immigration law
As Emmys host, Jimmy Fallon aims not to offend
Software released for attacking Android phones
|
Second woman sues Casey Affleck for harassment
Deadly gas explosion destroys building in Calif.
Calif. wildfire jumps aqueduct, approaches homes
Kings of Leon moves past "Pigeon-gate"
BlackBerry maker to launch tablet in November: report
|
"Jersey Shore" star Snooki arrested
NY reps. bicker over 9/11 responder bill's defeat
Teen stars align for "Camp Rock 2" soundtrack
"Law & Order" TV show fails to find a new network
Drinking edges up in US, with beer still favorite
Taiwan brewer to invest $30 mln in China: report
"The Office" to continue without Steve Carell
Malaysian tycoon launches $1.48 bln power firm buyout
S.Korea hikes wages for N.Koreans in joint industrial estate
S.Korea sees $30 bln trade surplus in 2010, above fcast
Second woman sues Casey Affleck for harassment
|
Jersey Shore star Snooki arrested
|
Kings of Leon moves past Pigeon-gate
|
As Emmys host, Jimmy Fallon aims not to offend
|
Teen stars align for Camp Rock 2 soundtrack
|
Law & Order TV show fails to find a new network
|
Thousands fight forest fires in Russia heatwave
Pakistan spy chief scraps UK trip on terror remarks
|
Israeli air strike kills Hamas commander in Gaza
Wildfires spread in western Russia, kill 28
|
Germany mourns Love Parade victims
Israeli air strike kills Hamas commander in Gaza
|
Chelsea Clinton set for lavish, secretive wedding
At least 100 hurt in Bangladesh clashes over wages
|
Dozens killed and stranded by Afghanistan floods
|
Merkel attends memorial for Love Parade victims
|
The big day: Chelsea Clinton to wed in upstate NY
Fresh allegations slams Delhi Commonwealth Games
N.Korean FM meets Myanmar FM amid nuclear worries
India to back New Zealander for top ICC post
Pakistan spy chief scraps UK trip on "terror" remarks
Philippine Airlines cancels flights as pilots quit
Leong, Siddikur tie for lead at Brunei Open
Taiwan authorities probe oil refinery fires
Philippine Airlines cancels flights after pilots quit
China invests $40 bln in Iran oil, gas: minister
ICICI Bank profit up 17 percent on better loans
ICICI Bank profit up 17 pct on better loans
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights