Two toddlers found dead in car in southern France – prosecutors investigate for manslaughter

According to investigators, the victims are siblings aged two and four. The Vaucluse fire brigade reported that it found "two children in cardiopulmonary arrest." Despite immediately initiated resuscitation measures, all help came too late for the children.

The 33-year-old mother, who had discovered her two children in the car parked in the driveway of the family home, was cared for by the fire brigade, according to the information provided. Due to her condition, an interrogation by investigators was initially not possible, it was said. According to initial findings, she had locked herself inside, as the public prosecutor's office announced – the wording suggests that the children may no longer have been able to leave the car on their own.

Statements from the public prosecutor's office

The Carpentras public prosecutor's office confirmed the discovery on Monday and opened a preliminary investigation for manslaughter. Public prosecutor Hélène Mourges stated: "Die Todesursache ist noch unklar, die Ermittler gehen aber von einen Zusammenhang mit der Hitzewelle aus." An autopsy to determine the exact circumstances of death is still pending.

The investigations were ongoing. As of publication, neither a final toxicological nor a pathological examination was available. The question of how long the children spent undiscovered in the vehicle has also not been publicly answered so far.

Extreme heat across France

The incident comes during a phase of exceptional heat that has gripped all of France. Météo France had issued the highest red heat warning level for a large part of the country. The people in France are currently experiencing an extreme heat wave, with temperatures reaching up to 42 degrees. More than half of the country was under the highest warning level on Monday.

In Carpentras itself, thermometers showed temperatures of up to 39 degrees on Monday, according to the French weather service. The values are expected to rise further in the coming days. The authorities had repeatedly urged the population to protect themselves from the heat, to drink plenty of fluids, and to avoid physical exertion during the midday hours.

Already over the weekend, authorities in France had reported three heat-related deaths and more than a dozen fatal swimming accidents. The current heat wave is considered one of the most severe in recent years. Weather services in other European countries are also warning of extreme heat stress.

Reminder of the case in Schorndorf

The case evokes memories of an incident that occurred only a few days ago in Schorndorf near Stuttgart. There, a mother forgot her small child in the car for hours. The 20-month-old girl died from organ failure as a result of heatstroke. There too, according to initial findings, the mother was not immediately present when the child was locked in the car.

Why a car becomes a deadly trap

Experts have long pointed out that vehicles can heat up extremely under sunlight. Interior temperatures of up to 80 degrees are documented in the literature. After just a few minutes, the interior of a car parked in the sun can heat up to life-threatening levels, especially for toddlers, whose temperature regulation is less robust than that of adults.

Pediatricians and emergency services advise never leaving a child alone in a vehicle – not even for a short time – and warn against underestimating the speed of temperature rise in a parked car. Shade, an open window, or turning on the air conditioning offer no reliable protection, according to experts.

In the present case, the exact duration the children spent in the car is the subject of the ongoing investigation. Whether a technical defect in the doors or accidental locking played a role has also not yet been conclusively determined. The public prosecutor's office announced further investigative steps.

Reactions and open questions

The authorities in Carpentras asked the public not to speculate about the exact circumstances while the autopsy results and interrogations have not been completed. Hélène Mourges, who is leading the investigation as public prosecutor, emphasized that all hypotheses would be examined.

France's Interior Ministry had ramped up emergency measures in the affected departments in recent days and opened additional air-conditioned public spaces. At the same time, aid organizations such as the French Red Cross warned that heat waves of this intensity can be life-threatening, especially for elderly people, the chronically ill, and small children.

There is great grief in Carpentras. Local residents laid flowers at the parking lot in the evening where the vehicle had been found. The city commemorated the two children with a minute of silence; the mayor and the prefecture expressed their condolences to the relatives.

Until the investigation is concluded, the cause of death of the two children remains formally unclear. Initial evidence, however, strongly suggests that the extreme heat in the parked vehicle played a central role. The case has reignited a broad debate in France about dealing with heat waves and protecting children in cars.