Nounou sentenced: 12 years in prison for fatal shaken baby syndrome!

Nounou sentenced: 12 years in prison for fatal shaken baby syndrome!

In a tragic case that has shocked the public, 45-year-old Vanina Reysz was sentenced to 12 years in prison today, June 20, 2025, before the Chamber Court in Chambéry. This is the same sentence as the first verdict handed down in 2022. Reysz was responsible for the death of the infant Hugo, who died under her care in Marlenheim on October 22, 2013. During the trial, she claimed to have shaken the child because he was lethargic after drinking. However, the president of the court, Christine Schlumberger, clarified that this lethargy was a direct result of the shaking, as lalsace.fr reports.

Prosecutor Gueorgui Varnabov called for the sentence to be increased to 14 years in prison, citing Reysz's problematic arguments. During the procedure, she claimed to have suffered a dizzy spell while holding the child to explain the serious injuries. However, the medical reports indicated that the child had been shaken 15 days previously and had suffered a head blow shortly before his death.

A shocking offense

The defense tried to cast doubt on Reysz's guilt by arguing that the child's serious injuries may have occurred outside of care hours. Reysz herself emphasized during the trial: “I am not a murderer,” while the court handed down the verdict after three hours of deliberations. Her calm reaction to the decision, which also slapped her with a lifetime ban from ever working with children again, produced mixed emotions in the courtroom.

This ruling highlights the serious consequences that can arise from neglected supervision and violent actions against vulnerable children. Similar cases, such as another incident in Haute-Savoie in which a 36-year-old assistant mother was also sentenced to prison for abusing a small child, reveal an alarming trend in society. This case was punished with a sentence of 12 years and the convict fought the accusations until the last minute without convincingly supporting her point of view Franceinfo.fr reported.

The effects of shaken baby syndrome

So-called shaken baby syndrome is a serious problem that is well documented in the medical community. According to reports from the American Academy of Pediatrics Such acts of violence can cause permanent damage to infants. Experts point out that screaming is often a trigger for such behavior. Research has shown that a high incidence of cases related to shaken baby syndrome is observed, highlighting the need for preventive measures.

With these tragic cases in mind, there is an urgent need for a debate across society to clarify and deal with the causes. In particular, dealing with stressful situations when caring for small children must be addressed in order to avoid such incidents in the future and to protect the well-being of children.