Girl, three, dies after getting shut inside a washing machine in Paris

Paris authorities launched an investigation on Friday after the death of a three-year-old girl who was found in the washing machine of her family’s apartment.

The child was discovered in northeast Paris on Thursday night, the capital’s prosecutor’s office said.

The drama unfolded after the father had dinner with his 37-year-old wife and one of their other children, Le Parisien reports.

At the end of the meal the parents became worried about the girl’s absence, it added.

An investigation into the cause of death began on Friday after the child was discovered in northeast Paris on Thursday night, the capital’s prosecutor’s office said 

The whole family then set out to search for her, in the apartment and outside, and asked their neighbours for assistance.

The girl had just turned three less than a week ago, according to the publication, which added that the discovery was made at around 10:30 pm in the apartment, located in Paris’s 20th arrondissement.

Once they had found the daughter, the father immediately called the emergency services for medical assistance, according to Le Parisien, who said the child was already in critical condition when rescued. 

She was declared dead shortly after 11:30 pm, the newspaper reported. 

According to the declarations of the father, aged 48, the door of the washing machine was closed when the family members found her. 

Initial details suggest that it could be linked to suffocation and there were no signs of violence on her body, according to reports. 

The autopsy has not yet taken place. 

Pictured: Paris’s 20th arrondissement (file photo). The girl had just turned three less than a week ago, according to Le Parisien, which added that the discovery was made at around 10:30 pm in the apartment

A source said the parents had five children, including the deceased. 

‘The eldest is 18 years old, then there are the sons between 7 and 16 years old and finally the victim’, they added, noting that the parents were also unaware of what their other four children were doing during dinner.

A special unit for the protection of minors is heading the probe.

In July, a seven-year-old boy in Spring, Texas was found dead inside of a washing machine just hours after his parents reported him missing.

At around 5.20am, the parents of Troy Khoeler filed a missing persons report with police, Lt Robert Minchew of the Harris County Sheriff’s Office said.

When police officers arrived at the home of Jermaine Thomas and Tiffany Thomas, the couple said the boy had been missing since around 4 am.

After the parents took part in a brief interview for the missing persons report, deputies found there were ‘signs’ indicating that they should search the house in its entirety for the boy.

They then discovered his body in the washing machine in the garage.  

Jermaine Thomas was charged with capital murder and Tiffany Thomas was charged with injury to a child by omission.