Five-day-old Zayneb-Cassandra tragically died after suffering a catastrophic brain injury at Jeanne-de-Flandre Children’s Hospital in Lille, France. On July 11, she was found unconscious on the floor next to her crib and died four days later from trauma consistent with a fall.

Authorities believe a six-year-old child, unsupervised in the maternity ward, may have lifted and dropped the newborn. Witnesses reported that the boy had been left to roam the halls while his mother recovered from childbirth. He had previously been seen interfering with other babies.

Delphine, another mother on the ward, heard a loud noise and rushed in to find the boy near Zayneb, who was lying on the floor. Zayneb had been born prematurely and was on life support following the incident, but resuscitation attempts failed.

Family members claim the hospital was repeatedly warned about the boy’s disruptive behavior. Zayneb’s cousin, Karima, said he was obsessed with the infant and referred to her as “my doll.” She also said the baby had previously been found wet, without a diaper or monitoring electrodes.

Zayneb’s parents, Sephora and Mohamed-Hamza, blame hospital negligence rather than the boy or his mother. “A child should never have been allowed to roam unsupervised,” her father said.

A criminal investigation has been opened, and the hospital is conducting an internal review. Officials have since restricted access to neonatal units.

“This tragedy destroyed my family,” said Zayneb’s grandmother. “My daughter came home without her baby. It’s inconceivable.”