Ma毛lys de Araujo murder: Colleagues donate leave to mother

Image source, AFP

Image caption, Ma毛lys' body was discovered on Wednesday

Colleagues of the mother of murdered French girl Ma毛lys de Araujo have donated part of their leave to her - totalling almost three years.

Jennifer de Araujo is a night nurse at a hospital in the town of Pontarlier. She stopped working when Ma毛lys went missing at a wedding last August.

Her 1,300 fellow workers were given a chance to donate their leave while the search was going on.

This week Ma毛lys' body was found and the main suspect confessed to murder.

The leave donation was organised by the trade union at the hospital where Ms de Araujo works.

On Friday, union delegate Lydie Lefebvre said that Mrs de Araujo had been given a total of 572 days.

Image source, AFP

Image caption, Ms de Araujo has been off work since her daughter went missing in August

, Ms Lefebvre told France 3 television.

"It will be up to her to decide what she will do these days, if she wants to gradually resume part-time or take time," she said.

Mrs Lefebvre added that Mrs de Araujo had received the news on Tuesday - the day the body was finally found.

On Wednesday ex-soldier Nordahl Lelandais, 34, admitted killing Ma毛lys "involuntarily", without giving details.

Both were guests at a wedding in the eastern town of Pont-de-Beauvoisin.

Late that day, .

"We had to wait five and a half months for this monster to finally speak," she wrote. "Ma毛lys will haunt you nights and days in your prison".