Intervention by the CDU in Roche-Bois - Navarre-Marie: "The well-being of the children was at stake"
On Monday, February 2nd, an intervention by the Child Development Unit (CDU), supported by the Abercrombie police, took place at the home of a mother in Roche-Bois. Four children, aged between 6 months and 8 years, were temporarily removed from maternal custody and taken to the hospital for medical observation.
According to gathered information, authorities visited the family home in the morning to assess living conditions. After this visit, the mother, of Chagossian descent, was invited to the police station, where the decision was made to place the children under protection. The eight-year-old girl, who was at school during the intervention, was also retrieved by the authorities.
The situation sparked a strong reaction from the surrounding community as relatives attempted to prevent the children from leaving. However, the relevant services proceeded with their transfer to a hospital facility for medical follow-up. Two of the children admitted to the hospital were placed under treatment, according to an official source.
Severe Dehydration
According to the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family Welfare, monitoring of this family has been ongoing for several months. Minister Arianne Navarre-Marie specified that the Family Support Services (FSS) of Abercrombie had been alerted as early as October 23, 2025, following a report from a Medical Social Worker at Victoria Hospital regarding an infant admitted to ENT Hospital in a concerning state, suffering from severe dehydration.
Hospital staff also reported that the mother was not consistently attending to the child. A first intervention was conducted on October 24, 2025, with the mother summoned to discuss the family situation. "The case has been regularly monitored with counseling sessions and communications with the mother, notably on October 24 and November 20, 2025," the minister stated.
Despite this support, a new complaint for severe neglect was recorded on January 30, 2026, leading to the intervention on February 2. "The children have been placed in a secure environment to ensure their immediate protection and well-being, in accordance with the provisions of the Children’s Act 2020," added Arianne Navarre-Marie.
