Mom Abandoned 9-Year-Old Son to Live Alone for 2 Years While She Moved in with Partner
The mother was sentenced to 18 months for child abandonment
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A French mother was sentenced to 18 months after she abandoned her 9-year-old son, according to reports.
The woman, identified in French outlet Charente Libre as Alexandra, 39, left her son to live alone from 2020 to 2022, which was also reported by BFMTV, a CNN affiliate.
The boy appeared to survive off cake and canned goods, the outlet reported, often without heating or electricity, said the mayor of Nersac, the town where the boy lived.
BFMTV reported that the boy’s mother lived with her partner a few kilometers away and would visit on occasion.
Despite his living conditions, the outlets reported that the boy still attended school and got good grades.
“I met his mom in May 2022,” Mayor Barbara Couturier told BFMTV. “She came to tell us that she had financial problems, and we gave her four vouchers for food, but she took some processed food products instead so that got me suspicious. Some residents told me that there was a child living alone, so I connected the two things and I called the local police and the national police.”
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Charente Libre reported that 12 months of the mother’s sentence was suspended and she will serve the remaining six months under home confinement.
The boy is under the care of social services, reported BFMTV.
If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
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