A nine-year-old boy lived alone for two years in a cold apartment in southwestern France after his mother abandoned him to live with her boyfriend. The child fended for himself in an apartment in Nersac, France near Angoulême, as his mother moved three miles away. The 39-year-old mother was sentenced to six months in prison for abandoning and endangering the minor. While the boy’s father, living in another town, faced no charges.
From 2020 to 2022, the abandoned boy endured periods without hot water, heating, or electricity
He coped by washing in cold water and using sleeping bags and blankets for warmth. To survive, he resorted to stealing tomatoes from a nearby balcony and scavenging for food from neighbors. Concerned neighbors eventually reported the situation to the police, leading to the boy being taken into care.
EU countries are implementing various measures to prevent child abandonment. These initiatives include:
- Social assistance
- Day-care facilities
- Mother-baby units
- Family planning services
- Counselling services for mothers and/or families
- Financial support
- Programs targeting high-risk families and child identity
- Parent ‘training centers’
- Helplines offering support for mothers in need
- Guidance on preventing child abandonment at maternity units
- The presence of social workers in maternity units
- Training for hospital staff to recognize and handle high-risk situations, providing positive counseling.
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