A French couple who poisoned their five children and then tried to commit suicide in a desperate bid to escape debt problems was sentenced to prison terms by a court yesterday.
A court in Beauvais, northwest of Paris, convicted Emmanuel and Patricia Cartier on charges of murder and attempted murder. The pair was sentenced to serve 15 and 10 years, respectively, and were stripped of parental rights over their four surviving children for the next decade.
In August 2002, the couple made a murder-and-suicide pact to take their family to a "better world" and alleviate the strains of a debt burden that exceeded $360,000. The couple had 11 bank accounts, over 20 credit cards and 15 loans.
The couple administered insulin injections to their five children, which led to the death of their 11-year-old daughter. The four other children, who will live with an aunt and uncle, survived.
The couple's own suicide attempt failed: Emmanuel tried slitting his wrists and Patricia injected herself with insulin.
AP