In conflictual parental separations, the child can take on the role of parent. Parentification is a frequent consequence of such situations. This article discusses the clinical case of a 12-year-old girl illustrating the link between her family situation and the phenomenon of parentification. Marie was taken into care in a medical-psychological centre following a treatment order issued by a juvenile court magistrate. In the midst of the conflictual separation of her parents, she emerged as her mother’s caregiver and confidante. She sought to help her mother by various means such as moral support, rejection of the father or breaking ties with her family. Court-mandated educational programmes, prevention programmes or discussions with parents in schools would thus seem to provide a welcome option to reduce parentification.