French Woman Sentenced to 25 Years for Newborns' Deaths in Freezer Case

A chilling case of hidden pregnancies and tragic neglect ends with a landmark ruling. How did a mother's denial lead to two newborns' deaths?

, and Administrator

2026 March 29 . 8:06 PM

1 min read

The image shows an old black and white photo of a woman sitting on a chair, cradling a baby in her... — The image shows an old black and white photo of a woman sitting on a chair, cradling a baby in her arms. At the bottom of the image, there is text written in French.

French Woman Sentenced to 25 Years for Newborns' Deaths in Freezer Case

A French court has sentenced Aurelie S. to 25 years in prison for the deaths of two newborn babies. Their bodies were discovered in a family freezer in 2018 and 2019. The case follows a series of similar tragedies in France involving newborn fatalities. Aurelie S. claimed the first baby's death was accidental, but forensic evidence contradicted her statement. She later admitted giving birth to the second child at home after denying her pregnancy. Panic, she said, led to her actions.

The court determined that she did not kill the infants intentionally. Instead, it ruled that neglect and failure to provide care caused their deaths. The exact cause of the second baby's death remained unclear. Investigations also revealed that Aurelie S. had been violent toward her three older daughters and withheld proper care from them. This case echoes other incidents in France, including a 2018 conviction where a woman drowned five newborns and froze their bodies, receiving an eight-year sentence. In 2015, another mother was jailed for nine years after killing eight of her newborns. Public records do not specify how many women in France have faced prison terms since 2015 for similar cases involving newborn deaths.

Aurelie S. will serve 25 years for the deaths of her two newborns. The ruling highlights ongoing concerns about infant fatalities linked to denial of pregnancy and neglect. Authorities continue to monitor such cases across the country.