French Authorities Rescue Boy Locked In Father’s Van Since 2024
A nine-year-old boy has been rescued after spending more than a year locked inside his father’s van in a small French village, in a case that has shocked residents and prompted criminal charges against both the child’s father and his partner.
A neighbor alerted police to sounds of a child coming from a vehicle parked in the village of Hagenbach, near the borders of Switzerland and Germany, on Monday.
When officers forced the van open, they found the boy lying in a foetal position, naked, covered by a blanket on top of a mound of trash and near excrement, according to prosecutor Nicolas Heitz.
The child was clearly malnourished and could no longer walk because he had been sitting down for so long.
When officers spoke to him, he said he had not showered since 2024.
The boy’s father told investigators he placed the child in the van in November 2024 to protect him, claiming his partner had wanted to send the boy to a psychiatric hospital.
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However, prosecutor Heitz said there were no medical records of the boy suffering any psychiatric problems before he disappeared, casting serious doubt on the father’s account.
Friends and family had been led to believe the boy was in a psychiatric facility, while his teachers were told he had transferred to a different school.
The deception kept the child hidden from those who might have raised the alarm for well over a year.
The father has been taken into custody on charges including preliminary kidnapping.
His partner, who denied knowing the boy was in the van, has been charged with offences including failure to help a minor in danger and released under judicial supervision.
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The boy’s 12-year-old sister and the 10-year-old daughter of his father’s partner have both been placed in the care of social services.
The discovery sent shockwaves through the quiet village of Hagenbach.
The case has raised serious questions about child welfare oversight and how a young boy could remain hidden from schools, family, and authorities for such an extended period.