It was mechanics carrying out repairs on a car in south-western France who first made the appalling discovery of a naked, dehydrated baby girl in a car boot back in 2013.
Now her mother, Rosa-Maria Da Cruz, is on trial for hiding the existence of her daughter and for depriving her of care and food, “compromising the health of the child”.
New, horrifying details have emerged since the woman's trial began in Correze in the south west of France on Monday.
One investigator described the car boot as the child's “living space”, detailing the condensation, several millimeters of water, and “larvae, flies, insects and maggots”.
The mother had previously told the police that she had brought her daughter into the detached house which she shared with her companion and her three other children when her family was out.
Mother Rosa-Maria Da Cruz pictured during her trial. Photo: AFP
On the day of her discovery the mechanics first became concerned about the strong odour of excrement coming from the boot of the Peugeot 307 Break.
However Da Cruz reportedly tried to dismiss their concerns, explaining that the strange noises were coming from toys which had just been switched on.
When Serena was found she was in a filthy state and appeared to have a fever, according to the mechanics.
One of the mechanics who found her Guillaume Iguacel has said the baby, Serena looked like a “mummy” when he first saw her.
“I felt that the baby needed air, that she was going to suffocate,” one of the mechanics told TF1 television at the time.

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