French police find remains of five infants in couple's home in Orange

French police have found the remains of five infants in cardboard boxes at the home of a couple in Orange, southeastern France. The discovery was made after the woman gave birth to a live child on Sunday, prompting investigators to examine the family's home.
The woman's partner, who is also 32 years old, found the remains while searching their home. He had been troubled after discovering that his partner was pregnant very late in the pregnancy. The couple's home is located in the historic city center of Orange.
The prosecution described the find as bones and decomposed bodies. A forensic doctor estimated that the remains belonged to five newborns. The police have opened a murder investigation and are conducting autopsies and anthropological analyses on the remains.
The mother, who is 32 years old, is currently hospitalized and has not yet been interviewed by investigators. The couple has two other children, aged 8 and 9, who are being evaluated by child protection services. The newborn child has been placed in temporary care until a juvenile court judge can decide on further measures.
The man told police that he was unaware of his partner's previous pregnancies. The prosecution has ordered an autopsy on the decomposed body and anthropological analysis of the bones.
Neighbors described the couple as seemingly normal, with the mother often picking up their children from school. The couple's home is now sealed off with red tape as the investigation continues.
In March, a French court jailed a 44-year-old woman for 25 years over the deaths of two of her newborn babies, who police found in the family freezer. In 2018, a court sentenced a woman with a depressive and sometimes violent husband to eight years in prison for drowning five of her newborn babies and freezing their bodies. In 2015, another court jailed a mother for nine years for killing eight of her newborns, with the jury finding she had impaired judgement.
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