Mother 'kept secret baby girl hidden in trunk of car'

A mechanic has spoken of the moment he found an underfed and dehydrated baby who had been forced to live hidden in a car boot, possibly since birth. The girl, aged between 15 and 23 months, was discovered on Friday when her mother brought the car to a garage in Terrasson, in central France. One of the workers heard "bizarre noises, like moans" coming from the car boot and opened it to find the girl. Garage director Denis Latour said: "She was naked, on the side there was a crib ... and there was this unbearable smell.

"The baby girl was laying on rubbish bags at the bottom of the trunk … crying and trying to get some fresh air because not only did it smell, but it was also hermetic." Mechanic Guillaume Iguacel, who found the girl, said: "I'm still having trouble sleeping, it was a horrifying sight, seeing this little girl in her own excrement, not able to hold up her head, white as a sheet." Mr Iguacel said the girl's mother appeared to have little concern for her daughter. He said: "We were deeply shocked because she didn't find this abnormal. We told her to remove the little girl (from the boot) and give her something to drink right away."

The girl was taken to hospital where doctors said she was suffering from delayed growth and mental problems. Local prosecutor Jean-Pierre Laffite said the baby "was hidden, it seems since birth, and more seriously, she is suffering from significant (developmental) delays". The situation "defies belief", he said. The girl's mother, 45, and her 40-year-old partner were arrested and charged on Sunday with child abuse and endangering a minor. The pair face up to 10 years in prison if found guilty. The mother told police she had given birth in secret and hidden the baby's existence from everyone, including her partner, the girl's father.

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The couple have three other children - a four-year-old girl and two boys aged nine and 10 - who were handed over to social services following their parents' arrest. The couple, who were both of Portuguese origin and both unemployed, lived in the village of Brignac, about six miles (10km) from the garage where the baby was found. Neighbors said the mother had been behaving strangely and was seen spending an unusual amount of time in the car. "We had the impression this woman lived in her car. She never left it," a neighbor identified as Pascale said. "I remember seeing her several times a week with her car parked in a lot about 200 meters from her home. The boot was always open. I was wondering what she could be doing."