Daycare worker in France sentenced to 25 years in jail for making baby drink drain cleaner to stop her from crying

French daycare worker faces 25 years’ jail for baby killing with drain cleaner

A 30-year-old daycare worker in France has been sentenced to 25 years in jail after killing an 11-month-old baby by forcing drain cleaner into the child’s mouth.

The shocking incident happened at a crèche in Lyon in June 2022, leaving not just the nation horrified, but also sparking outrage over the court’s final verdict.

Despite being charged with murder, Myriam Jaouen, 30, was found guilty by the court of “torture” and “barbarism resulting in death”. However, she was found not guilty of having the intention to kill, Lyon newspaper Le Progrès reported.

Source: Agence France-Presse

Daycare worker allegedly overwhelmed by crying baby

According to reports, Jaouen, who is partially deaf, admitted to pouring the corrosive liquid into baby Lisa’s mouth after she became overwhelmed by the child’s crying.

She allegedly thought the drain cleaner would simply “pass out with the baby’s stools”, the report said.

Instead, baby Lisa vomited violently and suffered severe internal burns, dying within hours at the hospital.

Source: Antoni Shkraba from Pexels. Pic for illustrative purposes only.

During the trial, the crèche worker admitted to her actions but denied intending to kill the infant.

During the trial, Jaouen confessed to her actions but insisted she didn’t intend to kill the child.

The prosecutor, however, painted a different picture — one of deliberate cruelty, arguing that Jaouen was “perfectly conscious” of what she was doing.

Despite this, the court spared her a murder conviction, a decision that left the baby’s devastated parents “shocked” and heartbroken.

“It feels like we’ve lost our child twice,” the prosecutor quoted the parents as saying.

Source: BanksPhotos from Canva. Pic for illustrative purposes only.

Inexperienced worker was hired despite troubled background

According to Le Progrès, Jaouen lacked experience in childcare, and her track record includes a difficult school career and on-and-off jobs.

Despite this, she was employed by People and Baby, a major nursery operator in France that managed the Lyon crèche.

Also read: S’pore childcare centre staff allegedly stabbed 6-year-old boy with pen, faces up to 8 years’ jail