A hospital in Lille, France, is facing outrage and an internal investigation after a six-year-old boy, reportedly left to roam unsupervised, caused the death of a premature newborn girl.

The five-day-old baby, named Zayneb-Cassandra, was found on the floor beside her crib with a traumatic brain injury. Her injuries were consistent with a fall, and she passed away after being resuscitated twice and placed on life support.

Witnesses say the boy had been wandering the Rainbow Ward for days, left there from 7am to 8pm while his mother recovered from giving birth. He had reportedly touched other babies and even fixated on Zayneb, calling her “my doll.”

On the day of the incident, a mother named Delphine heard a loud bang and rushed in to find the baby lying lifeless on the floor and the boy standing beside her on a chair. The baby’s family had reportedly warned staff multiple times about the child’s disruptive behavior, but no action was taken.

Zayneb’s grandmother recalled that the boy previously tried to grab the baby by her diaper. A day before the fatal incident, she was found without a diaper, electrodes detached, wet, and suffering from hypothermia.

Her heartbroken father, Mohamed-Hamza, expressed sorrow but did not place blame on the boy. “He’s just a child,” he said. “But the hospital should have protected my daughter.”

The hospital has since acknowledged the tragedy and launched an administrative investigation, while police have opened a criminal inquiry. Security measures at the neonatal unit have now been tightened.

The family, while devastated, vows to pursue justice. “This won’t bring her back,” said her father. “But someone must be held responsible.”

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