A 9-year-old boy has been rescued in eastern France after being held captive in his father's utility van for nearly two years. Police discovered the child, who was malnourished and unable to walk, in a village near the Swiss and German borders. He was found naked, amidst trash and excrement, in a fetal position.
The boy's 43-year-old father claims he locked the child in the van in November 2024 to "protect him" from his partner, who allegedly intended to send the boy to a psychiatric hospital. Investigators found no medical record of the boy having psychiatric issues. The child reported difficulties with his father's partner and stated his father felt he had no choice but to lock him away. He told authorities he had not showered since 2024 and had to urinate in bottles and defecate in bags.
The father faces preliminary kidnapping charges. His partner, who denied knowledge of the boy's confinement, faces charges of failing to aid a minor. The boy's sister and his father's partner's daughter have been placed in social services care. The investigation is ongoing to determine if others were aware of the boy's situation.