A six-year-old boy was found dead Thursday in a bathtub, his body covered in bruises and partially frozen, in an apartment in Perpignan, France.
In addition to the boy, the victim’s sisters also showed signs of violence and had to be taken to the hospital, the newspaper reports. Le Parisian.
The children’s father, uncle and grandmother were arrested and an investigation was launched. The father, already in jail, was accused of murdering his son and attempting to murder his two minor daughters. Two other family members were charged with negligent homicide by omission.
Investigators say the child’s body was placed in a small freezer at the home and then left in the bathtub.
Salin B., 28 years old, the children’s father, was found by the police not far from his son’s body. He lay unconscious, with a rope around his neck. He was initially taken to hospital but was later taken into police custody.
Sheriff B., Salin’s brother, was also hospitalized along with two other daughters of a relative. The results revealed “signs of multiple trauma” and several broken teeth.
According to the French press, Salin B. was already the subject of legal proceedings for violence against the mother of his children, who was herself a victim of psychological problems. The mother may have contacted a lawyer because she did not feel safe.