31 mrt 2024 om 14:21 Update: 14 uur geleden
After an eight-month search, body remains of missing Émile (2) have been found near a southern French mountain village. DNA research confirms that it is the French toddler, local broadcaster reports BFMTV Sunday on the basis of justice in Aix-en-Provence.
A hiker discovered a small skull during his hike near the village of Haut-Vernet on Saturday. Police called in a helicopter to take the found remains to a research center.
Investigation revealed that the bones were those of two-year-old Émile, who had been missing since July 8. The area around the site has been cordoned off. The French police are conducting a thorough investigation.
No information has yet been shared about the toddler’s possible cause of death. It is not yet clear whether it is a crime or an accident. French justice opened a criminal investigation into a possible kidnapping last year, but did not rule out an accident.
Toddler ran away from grandparents’ garden
In the summer of 2023, Émile played in his grandparents’ garden in Le Vernet, a small village in southeastern France. While his grandparents were getting ready for an outing, the boy walked away from the garden. The neighbors saw him walking down the street alone, but after that there was no trace of the toddler.
After Emile was reported missing, large-scale searches were launched. The army and hundreds of volunteers were involved. The search was halted after several days because a young child was unlikely to survive the heat of the French summer.
Farmers in the area were not allowed to harvest their hay that summer, for fear that traces of the toddler might be lost.
