Two year suspended sentence for death

A MOTHER who killed her severely mentally and physically disabled daughter has been given a two-year suspended sentence on appeal.

Lydie Debaine, 65, was initially acquitted by a court in the Val d’Oise in April 2008, despite admitting to the crime and calls from the prosecution for her to receive a “symbolic” three year sentence.

The prosecution had appealed the case, saying such acquittals could be interpreted as encouragement for people to take similar action.

During the re-trial at the cour d'assises de Versailles Debaine said that she had not killed her daughter Anne-Marie, 26, because she was disabled, but because she was suffering.

Debaine was accused of giving large amounts of anti-anxiety pills to Anne-Marie, her only daughter, before drowning her in a bath on May 14, 2005.

Anne-Marie Debaine was born premature and severely disabled. She had been cared for in specialist centres between the ages of 6-22 but had to move home to live in 2001 due to a lack of places.

She also suffered from epilepsy and violent seizures.

Photo:Bertrand Guay