what we know about the discovery of a baby’s body in a bag in Quesnoy

The infant’s remains were found on Tuesday by firefighters, who were responding to a fire. An investigation is underway to determine the causes of his death.

A chilling discovery. Following a fire on Tuesday, December 26, firefighters found the “lifeless body” of a baby in a backpack, in an apartment in a building located in the town of Quesnoy (North), announced Wednesday the public prosecutor of Avesnes-sur-Helpe, Laurent Dumaine. As of Thursday, the causes of the infant’s death remained unknown. Franceinfo takes stock of the first elements of the investigation.

Body found after violent fire

The fire in the building divided into several apartments, located rue Théau, a few steps from the Quesnoy town hall, started late in the morning on Tuesday. Firefighters intervened a few minutes later and cordoned off the area, says The voice of the North , which specifies that the five tenants of the building left the premises in time and emerged unharmed. Despite significant material damage, the fire did not cause any casualties.

Once the fire was extinguished, firefighters began to carry out reconnaissance in the building. During this operation, one of them discovered a backpack from which a “very strong smell”, reports France Bleu Nord. Inside, the body of an infant was found.

“The first conclusions tend towards an accidental fire, with a possible short circuit on an electrical device”estimate the authorities, cited by The voice of the North. “A priori, the two events would not be linked”. According to the regional daily, the apartment in which the bag was located is not the one from which the fire started.

Causes of death still unknown

For the moment, it is still impossible “to determine the causes of the infant’s death”which seems “go back a few days”, according to the first findings of the forensic doctor, cited in the prosecutor’s press release. The autopsy on the infant’s body is scheduled for Thursday, reports BFMTV. It will allow “determine whether this infant lived and, if so, the possible causes of its death”, explains the prosecution. An investigation into the causes of death has been opened.

The tenants of the apartment heard

Two people have been questioned by the gendarmes since Wednesday morning, according to France Bleu Nord. These are the two tenants of the apartment in which the infant was found, reports The voice of the North , who adds that the young couple was not heard while in police custody. This hearing should in particular make it possible to determine whether they are the parents of the baby found, according to BFMTV.