The motive behind the incident remains unclear. The Liège public prosecutor’s office is treating the case as murder followed by suicide.
The Remouchamps Viaduct is located on the E25 motorway near Aywaille, in the province of Liège.
On Friday at noon, the Liège prosecutor’s office confirmed to RTL that the woman had Portuguese nationality and lived in Luxembourg.
Gilles de Villers Grand Champs, Division Prosecutor in Liège, also shared initial details about the investigation. According to his statement, police have opened two case files: one concerning the woman’s suicide, and a second concerning the death of her child.
The child is considered the victim of an infanticide – a term used in legal and medical contexts to describe the killing of a baby or young child, typically by a parent. It is distinguished from other forms of homicide due to the victim’s age and the familial relationship to the perpetrator.
Nadja Bretz, psychologist at SOS Détresse, emphasises that if it is indeed a murder-suicide, there will be a great deal of speculation, but that it is possible “the mother suffered a profound psychological emergency, likely caused by a serious mental illness.”
A mother’s decision in such tragedies could be prompted by depression, perhaps also post-partum depression, with intense feelings of sadness, guilt, and hopelessness. Tragedies also arise due to more serious psychological causes, such as schizophrenia, or psychosis.
It is possible in a vulnerable mindset, a mother seeks to “protect” the child by taking their lives.
Such mothers may also be victims of extreme trauma due to violence and abuse. Combined with loneliness, or the feeling of being left neglected, it can become overwhelming.
Mothers sometimes do not seek help out of “shame”.
If you are experiencing thoughts of suicide you can contact SOS Détresse on 45 45 45. Further information can be found at www.prevention-suicide.lu.
