Trial of Amandine’s Mother and Stepfather: Terrible Revelations of a Family Ordeal

The Personality of the Defendants at the Center of the Trial

The trial of Sandrine Pissara and her partner Jean-Michel Cros, accused of the tragic death of their 13-year-old daughter Amandine, who died of starvation in a cupboard, continued on Thursday, January 23, 2025. The Hérault Assize Court focused on the personalities of the defendants, particularly Sandrine Pissara, who was described in a report as a “violent, manipulative, and lying” woman. During her testimony, she explained that she had herself been a victim of violence during her childhood in Portugal, recounting “slaps, punches” inflicted by her mother in a context of extreme poverty.

Chilling Revelations and Unbearable Footage

Despite these revelations about her past, the court was confronted with chilling footage showing Amandine, left to die in a cupboard, filmed continuously on the household surveillance cameras. Jean-Michel Cros, meanwhile, was described as a naive man under the control of Sandrine Pissara. Although he expressed regret and said he felt “powerless,” he did not intervene to stop the abuse inflicted on the teenager, and his attempts to leave the situation were rejected by the mother.

Amandine, who weighed only 28 kg at her death on August 6, 2020, had been subjected to a real ordeal. The last testimonies from a school monitor revealed the girl’s distress before her passing. In tears, she said “I’m going to die” when hearing the news of the lockdown, a foreshadowing of her tragic fate. The court continues to examine the acts of torture and barbarity for which Sandrine Pissara faces life imprisonment, while Jean-Michel Cros could be sentenced to 30 years in prison. The verdict is expected on Friday.