A wealthy French family obsessed with conspiracy theories linked to Covid jumped to their deaths from their seventh-floor apartment in Montreux, Switzerland, according to police.
The bodies of Eric David, 40, Nasrine Feraoun, 41, her twin sister Narjisse, and their 8-year-old daughter were found at the bottom of a seven-story building just 45 minutes after police arrived at their door.
However, the 15-year-old son survived the fall, he remains in stable condition in the hospital.
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Police in Vaud said on Tuesday they were investigating the possibility of a ‘collective suicide’ based on evidence ‘all the victims jumped from the balcony one after the other’.
Authorities do not believe anyone else was involved.
During an attempt to execute an arrest warrant on the father over home-schooling, all five members of the family jumped over 65ft to their deaths, police said.
The deaths occurred after two officers arrived at the apartment at 6.15 am to serve a warrant for the father on Thursday in relation to the home-schooling of one of the couple’s children.
In response to their knock on the door, the officers heard a voice ask who they were, but once they replied, the apartment went silent. After failing to make contact, the officers left.
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All five members of the family jumped from the balcony within five minutes of each other shortly before 7 am.
Police said a step ladder was found on the balcony, but there were no signs of struggle.
‘Before or during the events, no witnesses, including the two police officers present on the spot from 6:15 am and the passers-by at the foot of the building, heard the slightest noise or cry coming from the apartment or the balcony,’ police said.
‘Technical investigations show no warning signs of such an act,’ they added, noting however that ‘since the start of the pandemic, the family was very interested in conspiracy and survivalist theories’.
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Living in virtual self-sufficiency, the family had a well-organized stockpile of various foods that occupied most of the apartment.
Neither the mother nor the girl, who did not attend school, were registered with local authorities, and only the mother’s twin sister worked outside the home.
‘All these elements suggest… fear of the authorities interfering in their lives,’ said the police.
(With inputs from agencies)
