"French Mother Imprisoned for Leaving 7-Year-Old Son Alone for 2 Years"

A French mother left her seven-year-old son to fend for himself for two years while she lived with her female lover three miles away, resulting in the child having to steal food and endure freezing conditions. The boy's life of neglect went undetected as he attended school and maintained good grades, with psychologists suggesting that the routine it offered "saved his life." The mother was sentenced to six months of electronic surveillance for abandoning and endangering a minor, while the boy, now in care, refuses to see her. Neighbours expressed guilt at not realizing the situation sooner, attributing the anonymity of modern life as a contributing factor.