Three French children have been found with their throats slit at their home near Paris, according to police.

A search has been launched for the absconding mother of the children, aged nine, 11 and 17.

Their father, who is a doctor, raised the alarm after returning home in the morning from work, police and judicial sources said.

The authorities said: “The children had their throats slit but we are still awaiting forensic reports.”

The bodies of the nine-year-old girl and her 11-year-old brother showed multiple stab injuries. The eldest brother was found alive but later died of his injuries.

The killings took place in the suburban town of Dampmart, 30km  (19 miles) east of Paris. The father was found in a state of shock.

“We are actively looking” for the mother, a judicial source said, adding that she was in her forties.

The couple were undergoing marital problems, investigators said.

The residential street where the drama unfolded has been closed off by police and a dog is guarding the scene, according to local media reports.

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