Mother of boy, 6, who ‘killed newborn on maternity ward’ was twice told to keep an eye on her child, victims' family claims
The mother of a six-year-old left to roam a French maternity ward alone was twice told to keep an eye on her son before he allegedly went on to kill a newborn, the victim's family has claimed.
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Zayneb-Cassandra, born six weeks premature, was just five days old when she was found lying unresponsive on the floor beside her crib at Jeanne-de-Flandre Children's Hospital in the northern city of Lille, France on Friday, July 11.
She had suffered a traumatic brain injury and was twice resuscitated before she died from her injuries last Tuesday.
A witness allegedly told the newborn's family that she was on the floor, naked, without a nappy and a 'bloody' skull.
A boy, who local media say had been displaying signs of 'disruptive' behaviour, was allegedly seen standing on a chair beside the crib and is thought to have taken the out before dropping her on the floor.
Karima, a cousin of Zayneb's grieving father has alleged that hospital staff were 'warned' of the child's 'abnormal behaviour'.
They claimed the baby's grandfather spoke to the six-year-old's mother on two occasions urging her to keep watch over her son.
She also claimed that the boy became obsessed with Zayneb, calling her 'my doll'.
She said he had likely touched her unsupervised a day before her fall.
"The day before, Zayneb had already been found without a diaper or electrodes, wet and suffering from hypothermia," she alleged.
The family claimed that staff then told them the baby must have taken her nappies off herself.
They have also urged other witnesses to come forward.
Karima said that Zayneb's mother doesn't 'people to think that she left her child unattended' when she 'entrusted her to the hospital staff'.
Zayneb's grandmother, Fatma, told the Voix du Nord newspaper: "The boy would arrive at 7am and spend all day running up and down the hallways.
"All the mothers were complaining, and a nurse even warned the child's mother that there was a problem. He was entering the other rooms.
"He also entered Zayneb's room for the first time. He said she looked like a doll, and my husband, who was there, took him out.
"It seems he tried to grab her by her nappy, and she fell on her head.
"My family is destroyed... My daughter is devastated. Coming home without her baby is inconceivable."
Jeanne-de-Flandre Children's Hospital has said it will launch 'an internal administrative investigation' into the incident.
A spokesperson said: "This human tragedy has deeply affected the staff and teams of Lille University Children's Hospital, as well as the other families present."
They said the hospital is currently taking "strict measures" to restrict visits to the neonatal unit.