Sylvie (Baby aged 5 months, France)

Introduction

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 accommodate his children after they were placed with child welfare services (CWS). I am the grandmother of the twins, and we have helped them a lot before and after the placement. My son is now a single father with sole custody and parental authority.

The Pregnancy and Birth

The pregnancy went well despite difficulties related to COVID-19 that made contact difficult for the mother. It was a twin pregnancy: at birth, both babies had normal weight and height, but one of them experienced abnormal growth in head circumference without alarming the doctor who followed them. The twins were cared for by their mother and us, their paternal grandparents. After the maternity ward, everything went well: they were breastfed and bottle-fed. The mother was on medication for depression before, during, and after pregnancy.

The Day Everything Changed

The week prior, my grandson had abnormal behavior described as a “bug” by his mother. On Saturday, July 31, 2021, we went to baby swimming with the twins as usual every Saturday. Télio was pale and unresponsive. In his mother’s arms, he exhibited this abnormal behavior again. We continued the session. Upon returning home, during his meal, his eyes began moving abnormally, his mouth twisted, and his arm trembled. I called SAMU who told me he was probably having an epileptic seizure and that we should take him to the emergency room later in the day. We immediately went to the hospital, all four of us. After much waiting and several episodes of abnormal behavior from Télio, I got upset to get prompt care: pediatric examination, blood tests, a scan revealing subdural hematomas (SDH). The pediatrician told me that the baby had been shaken and was dying.

When the Diagnosis Fell

Télio was transferred to the Bron Women Mother Child Hospital (HMFE) for surgery. Two days later, a report was filed. He underwent MRI, CT scan, X-ray, ultrasound, fundus examination, blood tests, and urine analysis. His twin had the same exams. It was the hospital psychologist who announced my son’s diagnosis of maltreatment. The initial pediatrician from Romans was extremely harsh in her words towards my son, his wife, and me. The staff at Bron were more moderate with their words but not their attitude: suspicious looks, we had to leave doors open, we were monitored. They told us that Télio risked dying and if he survived, he would have physical and psychological sequelae. We waited for the worst, all devastated because we did not know what awaited us. I searched online for possible causes and had Télio’s file analyzed by an expert, concluding with external hydrocephalus. However, this conclusion was rejected by the court.

In the Judicial Machine

My son and his wife were held in custody for 39 hours in October 2021 following a written summons. The people who interrogated them were not gentle (a shaken doll shown to my son to demonstrate the gesture). The twins were placed with child welfare services (CWS) in Valence for six months. At first, the staff was on guard but a climate of trust gradually developed and everything went well. My son, his wife, my husband, and I were warm-hearted towards them and collaborated for their wellbeing. The criminal proceedings led to an immediate appearance before the judge after custody: monthly check-ins, monthly meetings with the judicial controller. The medical expert report was issued in August 2024. Requests for a second opinion and appeal were denied. We are still waiting.

Living Under Suspicion

I cannot say if this has affected the relationship between my son and his wife, but I do not think so. His wife abandoned her children and husband; she left on their second birthday.

Today, my son has sole custody and parental authority while the mother has visitation rights of one hour twice a month in a neutral and supervised environment. My son therefore takes care of his twins alone. We are very present for him and them.

The twin who wasn’t sick has developed a phobia of doctors and white coats today. He constantly needs reassurance. During the five weeks he was alone in the nursery, he was letting himself die: he stopped smiling, stopped eating. He had to be force-fed to nourish him. Today, he needs his twin greatly.

My son lost many friends who passed judgment on the situation. Financially, we paid most of the lawyer’s bills with our retirement savings. Today, there is still this feeling of injustice within us: our son always has this sword of Damocles hanging over his head, which prevents him from living peacefully or building a new family life.

On our side, it greatly impacted us as well. We had our grandchildren several times a week to help the parents, and suddenly nothing. The judge granted us one hour of visitation once a month. It was very complicated to leave them and wait a month before the next visit.

We deny ourselves many things to be able to pay future lawyer bills because it’s not over. Our country’s justice is not fair, especially when they don’t try to understand what illness our grandson had, convinced that it was abuse! Our lives will never be the same: we have hurt our grandchildren and also our son. It’s a double blow.

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.

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