Emmanuel Cartier worked as a machine operator in France. Together with his wife, Patricia, he accumulated debts totaling €250,000 through multiple credit cards and loans. Despite their modest incomes, the couple indulged in consumer spending, purchasing numerous items for their children and themselves. Emmanuel often spent entire nights attempting to manage their finances, transferring debts between accounts and taking advances on paychecks.

In August 2002, facing overwhelming financial pressures, Emmanuel and Patricia decided to end their lives and those of their five children. After a family meal at a local restaurant, they returned home, where Patricia administered insulin injections to the children under the guise of vaccinations for a holiday. Emmanuel was supposed to slit his wrists but managed only superficial wounds before calling emergency services.

Their 11-year-old daughter, Alicia, succumbed to the insulin injection and died three weeks later. The other children survived. In court, Emmanuel admitted to being seduced by easy credit and acknowledged his role in the family's financial downfall.

In 2005, Emmanuel was convicted of murder and attempted murder by a court in Beauvais and sentenced to 15 years in prison. He has since been released after serving his sentence.