An Unthinkable Act Under the Guise of Discipline
On the night of October 31st, a 44-year-old father from Frouard decided to “punish” his six-year-old son for what he deemed bad behavior earlier that day at a local holiday camp. According to the report in L’Est Républicain, the man chose a place as foreboding as his intentions: the woods near Liverdun.
The plan, as he saw it, involved abandoning the terrified child alone in the dark forest—a far cry from standard parental discipline. But events escalated rapidly. As the car stopped, the man reportedly ordered his son to get out. Realizing what was happening, the panicked boy clung desperately to the vehicle. The father, unfazed, drove off, dragging his son for several meters before finally stopping the ordeal and deciding to bring him to the hospital.
Hospitalization and Unconvincing Excuses
The boy was admitted to Nancy University Hospital with serious injuries: head trauma, cuts to the face and hands, and in a state of shock. The father initially told medical staff it was all just an unfortunate accident. However, the severity and pattern of injuries didn’t sit right with the hospital team. Suspecting foul play, they alerted law enforcement almost immediately.
The man was taken into police custody, where his explanations continued: he claimed the car had broken down in the woods and, while maneuvering the vehicle with his son’s help, an accident occurred. But the inconsistencies in his story did little to convince either police or prosecutors.
The Child’s Harrowing Account
Once questioned, the boy didn’t just confirm suspicions of abuse—he described events in a way that sent chills down investigators’ spines. His narrative sharply contradicted his father’s attempt to minimize the facts.
He described being undisciplined at day camp earlier that day, something no child deserves to nearly lose their life over. Rather than limiting himself to a scolding, his father decided to leave him alone, overnight, in a forest—an unimaginable sentence for a six-year-old. When he understood he was being abandoned, fear took over, and he held on to the car, only to be dragged several meters before his suffering ended, at least for that night, with a trip to the hospital.
Legal Action and Public Outcry
Faced with clear contradictions between his story and his son’s, the father stuck to his claims of a mishap. Nonetheless, he has now been charged with “intentional violence by an ascendant against a minor under 15, causing a full incapacity to work for more than eight days.” His trial is scheduled for March 2025 in Nancy. If convicted, he faces up to five years in prison and a fine of 75,000 euros (approximately $81,000 USD as of June 2024).
While released under judicial supervision, the man is strictly forbidden from contacting his son until the trial.
Voices from the public have responded with outrage and compassion in equal measure. As one comment poignantly puts it:
How can anyone call this individual a father? Get that child away from this torturer so that he can rebuild his life with another family. Stop giving support to such oppressors. Compassion to this young boy.
The story is a harrowing reminder that sometimes, those meant to protect are the ones from whom children need the most protection. For now, attention turns to ensuring the child receives not just medical care, but the chance for a safer, happier life ahead.
