A 9-year-old boy in France was rescued after being locked in his father’s van since 2024, French prosecutors said.
The horrific case unfolded Monday, when a neighbor told police there were "sounds of a child" coming from a van.
Child found naked, atop mound of trash
What we know:
Authorities said the child was found in the village of Hagenbach, near the borders with Switzerland and Germany. When police arrived, they found the child "lying in a fetal position, naked, covered by a blanket on top of a mound of trash and near excrement." He was malnourished and unable to walk.
The child’s father was arrested for preliminary kidnapping and other charges and remains in custody. His partner claimed she didn’t know the boy was in the van, but she was also charged for failure to help a minor.
Two other children were placed in protective custody.
What we don't know:
It’s unclear if more people were aware of the boy’s condition. Police said they’re still investigating.
Father said it was ‘to protect him’
What they're saying:The boy’s father said he locked the child in the van in November 2024 to "protect him" from his partner, who wanted to send the then 7-year-old to a psychiatric hospital. Prosecutors, however, said there was no record of any previous psychiatric problems before he disappeared. They said he had had good grades in school.
