Father and nine-year-old daughter found dead at family home in northern France

Tuesday 11 August 2026 - 10:16

By: Sahili Aya

Father and nine-year-old daughter found dead at family home in northern France

A 52-year-old man and his nine-year-old daughter were found dead at their family home in Biache-Saint-Vaast, in northern France, on Monday, according to French authorities.

The two bodies were discovered after the girl's mother returned home from work and found the door locked from the inside, according to information reported by French media and confirmed by the gendarmerie to AFP.

Emergency services were called to the property and found the father and child at around 7 p.m., according to a source close to the investigation.

Gendarmerie launches investigation

Investigators from the Arras research brigade and the Pas-de-Calais criminal identification and investigation unit have been assigned to the case.

The circumstances surrounding the two deaths remain under investigation. Authorities have not publicly established a definitive account of what happened inside the home.

According to a source familiar with the case, investigators are currently examining the possibility that the child was killed before the father took his own life.

That scenario remains an investigative hypothesis and has not been formally established by judicial authorities.

Father reportedly had history of depression

A source close to the investigation said the father had been suffering from depression and had previously attempted to take his own life.

The information is being considered as investigators reconstruct the events leading up to the deaths.

The discovery of the bodies has prompted forensic and investigative work at the family property as authorities seek to establish the precise sequence of events.

Investigation continues

The case remains in the hands of the gendarmerie as investigators gather evidence and examine the circumstances of the deaths.

Authorities are expected to determine whether the initial hypothesis is supported by forensic findings and other elements collected during the investigation.

No further details concerning the family's circumstances or a possible motive have been officially released at this stage.