Ilona (Baby aged 3 months, France)

Introduction

Parents’ age at the time of events: 24 and 25 years old. Mother with a disability (arthrogryposis), cashier, adopted from Cambodia by a single mother (me). She also has an older sister who was adopted from Cambodia. The father is a truck driver and had not informed his family about having a partner and child in his life. They reside in Étoile-sur-Rhône (Drôme).

Pregnancy and Delivery

The pregnancy went without any issues. The initial obstetrician recommended a cesarean section, but the gynecologist-obstetrician at Bron hospital insisted on a vaginal birth. A lack of engagement was noted as early as the 10th hour, but they persisted. An orange code cesarean section was finally initiated during the 17th hour due to fetal distress. Our child was born on Thursday, April 28 around noon with an Apgar score of 1. He required resuscitation for eight minutes. The father took photos showing several bruises on the baby’s body and head. No explanation of the birth circumstances was given to us. We discovered all this by obtaining, after multiple requests, the child’s medical file. No cranial perimeter measurement was taken before his discharge from the maternity ward. An incorrect discharge report was handed over to the parents (12-hour error on the time of hospital admission)… giving a normal appearance to the circumstances of delivery.

The Day Everything Changed

The baby never developed normally. He had feeding difficulties right from the start. His mother took him to Valence Hospital three weeks later, where she was advised to completely stop breastfeeding and switch to bottle-feeding. Several changes in formula occurred, which he tolerated more or less well. Vomiting did not cease entirely. By the end of the second month, he was a very underweight infant, which did not alert his treating physician who still administered vaccines. Additionally, his skull began to swell above the eyebrows. A month later, concerned friends who are doctors convinced the parents to take him back to the hospital (Valence), but they refused to admit him because he had not been referred by a general practitioner. The next morning (Monday, July 25, 2022), his mother took him to Montélimar’s emergency room where he was admitted. He was then transported by helicopter to Bron Hospital where he was born three months earlier. Admitted under Professor Di Rocco’s care, a shunt was placed which quickly improved his condition. He is stabilized and the family feels relieved.

When the Diagnosis Was Made

The next day, tests were conducted: scans and MRI revealed subdural hematomas (SDH), retinal hemorrhages (RH), and bridging vein thrombosis. The parents were questioned by doctors and denied any involvement. A report was made to the prosecutor of Drôme. They were then brought back to Drôme for a police custody (GAV) while gendarmes searched their home, where their two dogs had been left alone for 48 hours. The parents were unanimously considered guilty of abuse as their apartment was deemed unsanitary and the dogs had partially trashed it. Furthermore, the gendarmes claimed that nothing had been done to welcome a child despite there being many baby items in the apartment. The parents were very depressed, especially the mother.

In the Judicial System

Immediate separation from the child who remained hospitalized. Visitation rights of half an hour per week. A few days later, the baby was transferred back to Montélimar, his original hospital. This is where the parents saw him again a few days later, accompanied by the director (?) of Drôme’s child welfare services (ASE), before their first appearance before the children’s judge who ordered the placement of the child in an infant care facility pending investigations with the grandparents. On the day of the first judgment, the baby’s condition worsened and he was taken back to Bron because his shunt had become blocked. He was finally hospitalized in Valence until November before being placed in the infant care facility. The investigation into the maternal grandmother was very thorough (about 10 hours of interviews)… and almost non-existent for the paternal grandparents, where the children’s judge from Valence planned to place the child. The director of Valence’s Interministerial Mission for Educational Justice (MIJE) followed orders.

Living Under Suspicion

I am facing significant financial difficulties. As the maternal grandmother, I bear the costs of the legal proceedings. My visitation rights are limited to six hours on the first Saturday of each month. I manage my budget precisely and no longer have any money for leisure activities.

The child has been placed with his paternal grandparents, and his mother only sees him for two hours a month due to an unenforceable judgment. The parents always had a tense relationship with the paternal grandparents, who recently sought custody of the child. This tension led to impossible meetings between the parents and the baby. Eventually, the parents separated, and my daughter moved to Bron.

The child is under the exclusive care of his paternal grandparents. He continues to be followed at CAMESOP for psychomotor skills and speech therapy and has started school in the Petite Section. My daughter alone was put on trial because she had stated during a police custody that she “maybe” dropped the baby in the crib, which could have caused a fall of 10 to 15 cm at most. Doctors Adamsbaum and Rey Salmon diagnosed abuse, although one of them previously asserted that a low-height fall could not have serious consequences.

A counter-expertise conducted in Montpellier by Dr. Rejoux, designated by the administrative court, concluded that it was impossible to establish with certainty the abuse because no fractures, even microscopic ones, had been detected. However, this report did not change the situation. The main reason is my daughter’s disability, which is systematically used to justify her deprivation of her son “because she always needs help,” although she receives no assistance.

My daughter only sees her son for two hours a month at the ANEF headquarters in Glun, Ardèche, which is inhumane. As for me, I have visitation rights of eight hours on the first Saturday of each month, with my daughter by my side. We await progress in the criminal case while fearing that the Investigative Judge will maintain a consistent attitude with the Children’s Judge to avoid a reversal of the situation.

Despite this, the bond between the child and us remains strong. He is always delighted to see us, and the separations are difficult. However, this affection is not understood by the Children’s Judge, ANEF, and the paternal grandparents, with whom our relations are limited to the bare minimum.

Financially, our situation is catastrophic. My assets have decreased by nearly 50,000 euros in three years. My daughter has found a more reliable and respectful partner than her son’s father and is trying to rebuild her life. She remains determined but is in a waiting position, which is her way of surviving. For my part, I vacillate between combativeness and discouragement. It seems that from a judicial perspective, we are facing one of the most backward corners of France (Valence for the first instance and Grenoble for appeal), where there is no possible listening.

For consistency across testimonies, this text may have been slightly edited or translated by artificial intelligence. If you notice any error or inconsistency, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Adele, France

My husband and I are merchants, and we’re thirty years old. We have three children: a daughter and twin boys. We live above our …

Agathe, France

It has been 8 years since I have been taking care of babies coming from nurseries or hospitals. I am a mother of three children aged 14, …

Alexandre, France

The delivery went without any issues. My baby was crying a lot, was he already suffering? We regularly consulted the pediatrician and …

Alexia, France

I gave birth at 30 weeks and two days. My baby was a large preterm, and I had to undergo a cesarean section with forceps. We went for a …

Amédée, France

Separated for a year at the time of the events, I was the mother of two boys aged 20 and 18 (one in the army, the other in school). I had …

Anaïs, France

My pregnancy was marked by several complications: I had two cases of thrombophlebitis as well as a pulmonary embolism. Additionally, Issam …

Anonyme, France

We have been a couple for 11 years and married for 7 years. We are 35 years old and have three children aged 5, 3, and 1 year. We live in a …

Anonyme, France

I have worked in the field of early childhood for 10 years, 5 years in a facility and 5 years as a childcare provider. I never had any …

Another Family, UK

I experienced preterm labor at 26 weeks and received steroid injections. The baby was head down and engaged from 20 weeks and did not move …

Audrey Edmunds, USA

I was pregnant with my third child and had been caring for children for over two decades. Just more than an hour after the baby came into …

Barbora, Canada

Newcomers to Canada, we had been here only two years at the time of the false accusation. We were expecting twins and already had an older …

Bénédicte, France

Bénédicte, childcare provider since 2014. Married and mother of two children. Difficulties observed at the end of pregnancy. The child came …

Camille, France

Story coming soon.

Candie, France

I am 46 years old and was a nanny from 2003 to 2018. I had a passion for caring for children with kindness, love, laughter, and sharing. …

Catherine, France

I was a childcare assistant for 40 years, 20 in a family daycare center and 20 as an independent provider, with no incidents whatsoever. I …

Chloé, France

My spouse and I were 29 and 27 years old at the time of the accident. We are co-managers of an equestrian tourism facility, and my husband …

Courtney, USA

At the time of accusation, I was a stay-at-home mom, and my husband is an HVAC tech. We had six children in total; our boy was one of the …

Cyrille, France

Parents in their thirties, father is a researcher and mother is a speech therapist. The birth was long. The baby’s head circumference …

Dwayne Lindsey, Australia

Victoria, Australia Evidence presented in my case by the mother and other witnesses states that I was a loving and present parent. However, …

Elisabeth, France

I was a childcare assistant right after finishing my studies. The child had an episode while being fed the bottle. I called my neighbor to …

Elise, USA

When my son was diagnosed, I was an attorney in private practice in New York. As a single parent, I lived on Manhattan’s Upper West …

Elyne, France

I was 26 years old, and my partner, who was 30, and I had a little girl of 21 months when our baby boy was born during the summer holidays. …

Emeline, France

My husband is now 40 years old and I am 36 (36 and 32 at the time of events). He is an engineer specializing in water treatment, and I am …

Fajr, USA

I am 21, and my fiancé is 23. My fiancé was a stay-at-home dad while I worked full-time at Honda. There were no issues during the birth. …

Fany, France

I am 39 years old, married with two children. I work in the social healthcare sector. The child fell from a baby swing placed on the couch …

Flora, France

We are a family of four. I have two boys: the eldest is three and a half years old, and the youngest is ten months. I am a caregiver for …

Ilona, France

Parents’ age at the time of events: 24 and 25 years old. Mother with a disability (arthrogryposis), cashier, adopted from Cambodia by …

Jennifer, France

I have been a childcare assistant since July 2008. I hold a CAP in early childhood education, a BEP in health and social careers, as well …

Josh, USA

Josh Burns, 49, Airline Pilot. Now living in Texas. My entire story can be found at www.tornfamily.com. My child experienced birth trauma …

Julia, France

I worked with children in various sectors, but after my separation and as a single mother of two children, I became a childcare provider. I …

Julie, Australia

My husband and I are both 44 years old. He works as a glazier, while I stay at home with our children. We live in Sydney, Australia, and …

Julie, Australia

We are both 44 years old, and our son has a twin sister and a three-year-old sister. We reside in Australia. During pregnancy, my twin boy …

Karen, France

I became pregnant in quite a miraculous way, as I had been suffering from endometriosis for several years. Seven years earlier, I was …

Karine, France

Childcare provider for over 13 years, taking care of children, especially infants, is a passion. Although caring for them at any age is …

Kat, UK

I am a mother of three and previously worked as a pediatric nurse before facing accusations of shaken baby syndrome. My family had no …

Kimberly, USA

My name is Kimberly, and I was born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio. I have three beautiful children: two on earth and one in heaven (Jr). …

Laeti, France

I have been a childcare provider since 2016 and I have two children. It was just a routine check-up… The doctor noticed that the …

Laetitia, France

My husband and I have been together for 13 years. The desire to have children came quickly in our relationship. After finishing our …

Laura, UK

I had a caesarean birth at 36+6 weeks with twins. The only issue was her head circumference, but this was never thoroughly investigated. …

Laurine, France

Parents in their late 20s with two children: identical twin girls. The twin pregnancy went smoothly despite the associated risks. Delivery …

Leigh Crutch, USA

Greetings! My name is Leigh Crutch, and I have worked as an Investigations Consultant specializing in real estate foreclosures since 2003. …

Lily, France

I have been a childcare provider for 5 years, having cared for twenty children in my large house. The house is equipped with a playroom, a …

Lisambs, France

Mom is a nurse, dad is an aide, in our thirties, owner of our house. First child, very much wanted. I was hospitalized during pregnancy for …

Lolo, France

I am 28 years old and my partner is 38. We have been together for 12 years. I work as a technical assistant, and he is an electrician. We …

Louise, UK

I am a mother who worked as a sewing machinist. Until my children were 14 years old, I raised them all. Then, the state wrongfully took …

Lyana, France

Mr., 36 years old, works in industry. Mrs., 34 years old, is active in the social sector. We have a first daughter who is four and a half …

Maddie, USA

I enjoy volunteering and taking psychology and behavioral health classes. I am also preparing to start work as a behavioral health …

Maë, France

R, M and E, a family living in the Hautes-Alpes. R is 36 years old and an electrician; M is also 36 and a teacher. E is their first child. …

Maeva, France

I had a perfect pregnancy despite bleeding during the first three months. The delivery, however, was premature at seven months of …

Manon, France

Certified babysitter and mother of two children, I have always led a happy and serene life filled with joy and unconditional love. Loving …

Maria, France

Nanny for 35 years, never any problem with a child. But when the baby showed signs of discomfort at my home, I was accused without any …

Marie, France

A father and mother, after welcoming their first child who is now 3 years old, are ready to welcome a second baby into their family. Both …

Marissa, USA

My son was 25 at the time. He worked as a roofer, and he has an older sister and a younger brother. We all reside in Des Moines, Iowa. The …

Mark, UK

My name is Mark Lackenby. I am 45 years old and work on the railway. My family has a history in mining, as we are from the UK. I have five …

Mary, UK

29 - dog trainer - Manchester, UK I am a single mother who had a wonderful birth experience and a great start with my son. He did suffer …

Melanie, Canada

I am a thirty-year-old mother who recently discovered that I have HEDS, which was misdiagnosed as fibromyalgia for years. Currently, I am a …

Melissa, USA

Mom and Dad are now married for 26 years and have five children aged 20, 18, 14, and twin 10-year-olds. This incident occurred when the …

Mia, Finland

At the time of the accusations, I was 35 years old, and my partner was 38. We both are a year older now. I work in Human Resources, while …

Mlmd, France

I had been a childcare assistant for one and a half years at the time of the events. I am also a mother to two daughters aged 7 and 11. …

Nancy, Canada

We are a couple of loving parents, both 34 years old—one is a teacher, and the other a PhD student. Each of us has three siblings. We have …

Nathalie, France

I was 35 years old and my husband was 45 at the time of these events. I am a restorer, and my spouse works as a salesperson in …

Nini, France

Trustworthy guardian who took in her niece after she was placed by Child Protective Services (CPS) because the parents were abusive. Stable …

Nini, France

Nursery assistant, nursing aide, childcare provider, and home support worker. I don’t know how the delivery went. The child was cared …

Orionea, France

I quit my job as an administrative/financial assistant to become a childcare provider in order to take care of my stepchildren and my first …

Paula, USA

I am the paternal grandmother, and I am filling out this form on behalf of my family. My daughter-in-law was 32 years old and worked as a …

Perle, France

Childcare Assistant for 11 years The child had to be placed in intensive care at birth. His head circumference was high from the start, …

Peter, Sweden

by Peter Aspelin, Emeritus Professor of Radiology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. 14 January 2019. Many claim that our time is …

Reginald, USA

I am Reggie Ware; my wife, Melonie, was the accused. This occurred in 2004 when she ran an in-home daycare. I work as a musician and real …

Roxanne, USA

Stay-at-home mom. I don’t remember much about this period. The children were frequently seen by medical professionals who came to our home. …

Sally, Canada

I am 26 years old, a support worker. My partner is also 26 and works in construction. Our baby was born three weeks early. Every time I …

Sarah, France

I am married and have a child. The child had strange breathing after vomiting. I informed the mother who arrived quickly. She told me that …

Skye, UK

My labor lasted two days, and it was a natural birth. She was significantly larger than my other children. We went home, and she seemed …

Stephanie, USA

I am married with two children and have been licensed to operate a home daycare for over fifteen years. N/A It was her first and only day …

Sylvie, France

My son, the father of twins, works in public works. He is a dad to twins born in March 2021 and lives in a house he renovated to …

Valeria, France

Our family was torn apart by these accusations. We had been married for eight years when Victoria Siara was born. As her mother, I am …

Vanessa, France

New mother, my son was the same age as the little one I was taking care of. The parents were in their thirties, like me. The mother had …

Vanessa, France

I obtained my Early Childhood Care and Education certificate in 2012. I then worked in a daycare center, recreational center, as a nanny at …

Virginie, France

We are both 40 years old (I was 39 at the time of the events). I am a primary school teacher and Lionel works as a sorting inspector. We …

Support us!

Together, we can make a difference. Every donation and every membership strengthens our work — offering support, creating dialogue and advancing scientific progress.

Make a donation

Contact

If you are facing a wrongful diagnosis or if you need more information, please reach out to us.

Please note: ADIKIA does not provide legal or medical advice.
We strongly recommend consulting qualified professionals.

Complete the form