Trial of Inass Touloub's Mother Reveals Deep Denial of Abuse
Halima El Bakhti faces court for the 1987 torture and death of her daughter.
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1Court Testimony Begins
Halima El Bakhti, 72, appeared before the Loir-et-Cher assize court to address the 1987 death of her four-year-old daughter, Inass Touloub. Known as the 'little martyr of the A10,' the child was found dead with signs of severe torture. The accused faces potential life imprisonment for acts of barbarity resulting in death.
2Early Life Separation
Inass was initially raised by her grandmother in Morocco for the first year of her life. El Bakhti claims she desired to bring her daughter to France, but her husband insisted she return to work in their butcher shop. This separation created a lasting emotional rift between the mother and the young child.
3Escalating Family Tension
Upon reuniting in 1984, the mother reported that Inass struggled to adapt to the family home in Puteaux. El Bakhti described the child as unresponsive and prone to vomiting, which fueled her own growing resentment. She admitted that the relationship between them became increasingly strained as the family environment grew more chaotic.
4Admission of Violence
Under intense questioning, El Bakhti acknowledged hitting and slapping her daughter but denied remembering specific acts of torture. She remained evasive regarding the forensic evidence, which detailed multiple fractures, burns, and hematomas. The accused maintained a state of emotional detachment, claiming she was mentally absent during the period of abuse.
5Chronic Maltreatment Evidence
The presiding judge highlighted that Inass died from long-term, repeated violence rather than a single event. Medical reports confirmed chronic abuse that left the child unable to sit properly due to severe injuries. El Bakhti struggled to provide coherent explanations, repeatedly citing memory lapses and a lack of understanding regarding her actions.
6Denial of Fatal Incident
The accused explicitly denied pushing Inass down the cellar stairs, a claim previously made by her eldest daughter to investigators. El Bakhti provided an imprecise account of the night of August 10, 1987. She insisted she was busy preparing food for the family despite having given birth to another child days prior.
7The Final Moments
El Bakhti described the moment of discovery, claiming she found Inass unresponsive on the sofa. She alleged that her husband, Ahmed Touloub, took the child and placed her body near the A10 motorway. The accused maintained that she was in a state of shock and followed her husband's instructions without question.
8Accusations Against Husband
Throughout the proceedings, El Bakhti attempted to shift blame onto her ex-husband, who is also being prosecuted for complicity. She claimed he directed her to tell family members in Morocco that Inass had been left in care. This testimony serves as a central point of contention in the ongoing legal proceedings.
9Lack of Introspection
When asked by the judge to recall a happy memory with her daughter, El Bakhti could only reference the time spent in Morocco shortly after birth. She characterized the subsequent years as 'all black,' showing no capacity for genuine remorse or reflection on the suffering she inflicted upon her young child.
10Judicial Pressure Continues
The court remains focused on uncovering the truth behind the systemic abuse that led to the child's death. Despite the judge's efforts to break her defensive posture, El Bakhti remains firmly in denial. The trial continues to examine the roles of both parents in this tragic case of historical child abuse.
11Historical Legal Significance
This trial revisits one of France's most haunting cold cases from the 1980s. The proceedings highlight the difficulty of achieving justice decades after the crime occurred. The outcome will likely set a precedent for how the French legal system handles long-standing cases of domestic violence and child neglect involving multiple defendants.