CRIME

Mother arrested after body of 10-year-old found in suitcase in France

A general view of Paris. Photo: Pixabay/File photo.

The body was found in a suitcase in a trash dumpster in the greater Paris area

French police have arrested the mother of a 10-year-old boy whose body was found in a suitcase in a trash dumpster in the greater Paris area, the public prosecutor said on Friday.

The 33-year-old is in custody after police launched a search for her on Thursday.

The father had reported his wife and child as missing on Wednesday evening after he returned from work.

The police found traces of blood in the flat in the village of Ferrières-en-Brie, suggesting a crime had been committed.

Officers carried out an extensive search operation involving dogs, boats and drones during the night. The dead boy was found on Thursday morning about 100 metres from the flat.

A wheeled suitcase

The body was in a wheeled suitcase, public prosecutor Laureline Peyrefitte said.

A post-mortem examination will determine the exact cause of the boy's death.

The boy's mother was described as psychologically unstable and the parents estranged, according to Le Parisien newspaper.