Amandine, a 13-year-old girl from Montblanc, tragically died from extreme malnutrition and abuse on August 6, 2020. Her mother, Sandrine Pissarra, and stepfather, Jean-Michel Cros, face serious charges, including torture and neglect. The upcoming trial seeks to shed light on the years of suffering Amandine endured, despite prior warnings to authorities about her condition. The emotional proceedings aim to address failures in child protection and seek justice for Amandine, who would have turned 18 this winter.
13 years old; 1.55 m tall; 28 kg in weight. These heartbreaking statistics encapsulate the tragic fate of Amandine, a young girl from the quaint village of Montblanc in Hérault, who lost her life on August 6, 2020. Amandine suffered from extreme malnutrition and brutal physical abuse, ultimately succumbing to starvation. Reports indicate that she passed away due to cardiac arrest linked to sepsis, a consequence of her severely emaciated condition and the neglect she endured.
Currently, her mother, Sandrine Pissarra, aged 54, along with her stepfather, Jean-Michel Cros, 49, are facing serious charges in the Hérault assize court. Sandrine is being accused of ‘torture and barbarity resulting in death without intent to kill’, while Jean-Michel faces charges of ‘deprivation of care and food leading to death’. The trial, which begins on January 20, is highly anticipated and aims to uncover the years of overlooked suffering, despite numerous warning signs. Let’s delve into this horrifying case of abuse.
A Heart-Wrenching Encounter: Amandine in the Morgue
On the fateful day of August 6, 2020, after experiencing a medical emergency, Amandine was transported by emergency responders. Upon their arrival, they discovered a girl who was nothing short of skeletal. Weighing a mere 28 kg at 1.55 meters tall, her face bore the marks of recent violence, showcasing the tragic toll of the neglect she faced. Sadly, the medical team could not save her. An autopsy revealed that her death was caused by a ‘cardiac rhythm disorder’ stemming from extreme malnourishment and sepsis. Her father, Frédéric Florès, who did not have custody, recounted his anguish: ‘When I saw her face in the morgue, it reminded me of the Holocaust, concentration camps, death. It was my daughter, but it was no longer her’, he mournfully expressed, emphasizing that she appeared to have ‘skin on bones.’
Sandrine Pissarra has been accused of perpetrating ‘acts of torture and barbarity’ against her daughter from March to August 2020. Her former partners described her as ‘violent and manipulative’, alleging that she used Amandine as a scapegoat to channel her deep-seated resentment towards her ex-partner. Reports suggest she frequently subjected her daughter to physical abuse, including ‘kicks’, ‘punches’, and hair-pulling’, as revealed by another child from a previous relationship in an interview with Figaro. During the pandemic lockdown, when Amandine returned home, the abuse escalated, leading to food deprivation, confinement to a storage area, and frequent humiliations. A psychiatric evaluation indicated that Sandrine viewed Amandine as a ‘thing to break’. However, the fifty-year-old maintains that she has ‘always cared for her children.’
Failed Safeguards: School Reports and Their Consequences
Jean-Michel Cros, who has been with Sandrine since 2016, is on trial for neglecting Amandine’s care and sustenance. Investigators found that he never intervened to halt the violence, despite being aware of its severity. He described himself as ‘passive,’ claiming he was under Sandrine’s influence. Even before the tragic events unfolded, multiple warnings had been sent to both the National Education and the judicial system. In both 2012 and 2014, educational authorities reported concerning injuries on Amandine’s body. Unfortunately, these alerts were insufficient to avert the tragedy that followed.
For Amandine’s father, this trial week is poised to be emotionally draining: ‘I know that all this will hurt me. But I want to understand why my daughter endured so much suffering.’ Alongside Amandine’s siblings, he has joined the civil party in this case. The anticipated verdict on Friday will be pivotal in determining accountability and may spark a crucial discussion about the shortcomings in child protection systems. Sandrine Pissarra faces the possibility of life imprisonment, while Jean-Michel Cros could be sentenced to up to 30 years behind bars. Tragically, this past winter, Amandine would have celebrated her 18th birthday.