In Montpellier, the trial of Sandrine Pissarra, 54, and her companion Jean-Michel Cros, 49, highlighted the horror experienced by Amandine, 13, who died in August 2020 after years of abuse. Ambre, 19, older sister of the victim, spoke on Wednesday, giving a precise and chilling testimony.
Ambre returned to the day her sister died. “When I got up, mom was panicked. She told me that Amandine was doing very badly. Jean-Michel helped her go upstairs. » The young woman, then aged 15, takes care of Amandine, visibly on the verge of death. “I washed her off in the shower, but she couldn’t speak clearly. » “Once she was settled on the bed, Amandine started foaming at the mouth. Jean-Michel put her in a side safety position. I said, “Forget it, she’s dead.” »
The imposed lies
At the time, Ambre complied with the version developed by her mother for the investigators. Amandine would have died from an accident linked to eating disorders. But today she revealed the truth: “I wanted to protect my mother. So, I said what she asked me to say. » Ambre carried this weight for years, before breaking the silence.
She thus recounted the abuse that Amandine suffered on a daily basis, relegated to a storage room from which she only came out to carry out household chores. “She had to clean in a T-shirt, then naked, to prevent her from stealing food. Mom monitored everything from her phone with cameras. » The rare times when the family left the house, Sandrine Pissarra locked the door.
Total maternal indifference
Ambre also described an authoritarian and cold mother, whose psychological and physical violence punctuated daily life. “After August 6, it was like mom was relieved. It was as if Amandine had never existed. » This chilling detachment is corroborated by Ethan, the 15-year-old younger brother. “Mom often hit Amandine, sometimes she banged her head against the wall. I was beaten two or three times a month. For me, it was normal. »
Our file on abuse
Today, Ambre expresses a mixture of anger and resignation. “I still love my mother, but she deserves what’s happening to her. » The trial finally allows him to free his words, long stifled by fear and guilt. “I want people to know what happened to my sister. She didn’t deserve this. »