In Montpellier, southern France, a trial began against a mother accused of starving her 13-year-old daughter to death. Sandrine Bessara (54 years old) stated about her daughter Amandine: "I don’t know why she didn’t eat. She wasn’t banned from eating."
The mother admitted that she couldn’t see what was happening, didn’t know how to react, and how to help her daughter. Notably, on August 6, 2020, Amandine died from cardiac arrest at the family home.
According to medical experts, the girl’s death was caused by severe loss of weight, associated with starvation, possibly due to lack of adequate nutrition. Sandrine's life partner, 49-year-old Jean-Michel Cro, also stated that he did not notice Amandine's declining condition and thought she was eating.
Currently, Cro faces a potential sentence of 30 years in prison for failing to take care of his wife’s daughter, refusing her food, and for not taking any actions to prevent her likely death. Bessara, a mother of eight children from three marriages, is also facing allegations of negligence in caring for her daughter over the past six years, and she risks a lifelong ban.
The judge turned to the mother, asking: "In the end, what do you admit?" To which she replied: "I told her that she should eat. I played the role of a mother and father, and I felt confused."