Dominique Cottrez was born in 1964 in Villers-au-Tertre, a small village in northern France. She worked as a nursing assistant and was married to Pierre-Marie Cottrez, a carpenter. Together, they had two daughters. Dominique was described by neighbors as a pleasant yet introverted individual who was not frequently seen in the community. ​

Between 1989 and 2000, Dominique Cottrez secretly gave birth to eight infants and subsequently suffocated them shortly after birth. She managed to conceal her pregnancies from her family and acquaintances, partly due to her obesity, which made the physical signs of pregnancy less noticeable. The bodies of the infants were hidden in plastic bags and either buried in the garden of her parents' former home or stored in the garage of her residence.

The crimes came to light in July 2010 when the new owners of her parents' former house discovered the remains of two infants while gardening. Upon being contacted by the police, Dominique immediately confessed to the killings and revealed the existence of six additional bodies hidden in her garage. 

Dominique was arrested and charged with multiple counts of infanticide. During her trial, she initially claimed that she had been involved in an incestuous relationship with her father and feared that the babies were a result of this relationship. However, she later admitted that this claim was false. On July 2, 2015, Dominique Cottrez was found guilty and sentenced to nine years in prison. In June 2018, she was granted parole and released under the condition that she continue to receive psychological and psychiatric care.