Two little girls, aged three and six, were tortured and starved by their own mother along with her new boyfriend, Mohamed, who is currently standing trial in Bobigny, in the multicultural Paris neighborhood of Seine-Saint-Denis. The mother defended the severe beating of one child, saying that “she is possessed by the devil.”
The mother and her boyfriend are charged with “torture, acts of barbarity, violence, deprivation of care and corruption of a minor.” Prosecutors say they carried out the traumatic acts against the children between December 2023 and May 2024 in the mother’s home in Seine-Saint-Denis.
The case came to the attention of authorities on May 19, 2024, when a concerned aunt brought the 3-year-old girl to the emergency room of the Robert-Debré hospital in Paris, where the girl showed signs of abuse, malnutrition, and dehydration. The medical report showed there were bruises all over the girl’s body and the girl seemed to be psychologically harmed by the abuse. The doctor recognized what was happening and immediately informed the public prosecutor.
Police arrived at the family’s home and questioned both of the suspects. The next day, the police performed a search of the apartment, where traces of blood were discovered and pink bandages that had traces of burn marks, which prosecutors say corroborated the stories provided by the two young children.
Police also found photos of one of the victims, which showed she was tied up for two days, held to the ground, and beaten severely. Her mother reportedly told police that this was justified since the child is “possessed by the devil.”
Police discovered phone messages that confirmed many of the facts of the case. Police also learned that Mohamed forbade the family to eat anything until he arrived home, which was often late.
“He allegedly imposed this habit, which he justifies by the fact that the food is too fatty and too sweet and presents the risk of making them obese,” said the judge
On Jan. 3, 2025, the 27-year-old Mohamed requested to be placed on electronic surveillance during his court appearance. Described as a “disturbing young man” who is “long-haired and lanky” by French news outlet Le Parisen, the man faces 20 years in prison, along with his partner. The prosecutor says that there is also a threat that the couple will partake in the same torturous acts against another victim, as there are no signs they want to end their relationship.
Both the mother and the partner take no responsibility for the condition of the children. At first, the mother appeared to be under a “mystical and hallucinatory delirium,” according to Le Parisien. Due to her condition, she was temporarily placed in a psychiatry unit, but the assessment there noted she was not psychologically ill.
She now tells the judge she was under the influence of her partner and allowed him to tie up her child five times to “drive out the demons.”
Mohamed claims the mother, who he was with for only six months, was the one who was violent towards the children.
“I know that the facts I am accused of are serious. But I am not a dangerous man for society. I do not understand why I am being criticized for this. The truth is that I do not feel involved,” the man said according to a psychiatric report.
Mohamed has a long criminal history, including for assault, burglary, and driving without a license. When investigators accessed his phone, they found he was prostituting himself on gay dating apps for money.
