A man in France discovered the remains of five newborns hidden in cardboard boxes in his home after an argument with his wife, according to prosecutors. The 32-year-old man found the decomposing bodies while searching their home in Orange, southeastern France, following a dispute over the contents of the boxes. His wife, also 32, had given birth at home the day before and was taken to the hospital after complaining of abdominal pain.
The man notified authorities through the hospital where his wife was being treated. Prosecutors opened a criminal investigation into suspected murder on Monday. A forensic pathologist estimated that the remains belonged to five newborns, including four skeletal remains and one decomposing body. Autopsies and further laboratory testing were ordered.
The couple already had two children, ages eight and nine. The man told police he was unaware of his wife's possible pregnancies. The woman remains hospitalized and has not yet been questioned by investigators. No arrests have been made.
The case has drawn comparisons to the Dominique Cottrez case, where a nursing assistant confessed to killing eight newborns and hiding their bodies over nearly two decades.