The boy was discovered naked and lying in a fetal position in the van, covered by a blanket on top of a mound of trash and near excrement, according to major media reports. He was malnourished and could no longer walk due to being in a seated position for so long, prosecutor Nicolas Heitz said. The boy was rescued this week when police forced the van open, multiple reports indicate.
The boy was seven years old when he was locked in the van in November 2024, the prosecutor confirmed. There was no medical record of the boy having psychiatric problems before he disappeared, and he had good grades in school, according to the prosecutor. The father, 43, locked the boy in the van to protect him from being sent to a psychiatric hospital by his partner, the father claimed.
I had big difficulties with my father's partner and thought my father had no choice but to lock me up.
The father was charged with sequestration and arbitrary detention of a minor, and depriving him of proper food and medical care, and was remanded in custody. During the period of confinement, the father lived in an apartment nearby with his partner and two other children while the boy was locked in the van. Neighbors alerted police after hearing suspicious sounds from the van, but were told the sounds came from a cat.
Those neighbors thought the boy had disappeared suddenly at the end of 2024 and understood he had been placed in care, according to their accounts. The father's partner denied knowledge that the boy was in the van, the prosecutor reported. Despite this denial, the partner was charged with non-assistance to a minor in danger and non-denunciation of mistreatment of a minor, and was granted conditional bail.
I haven't showered since 2024.
Following the rescue, the boy's 12-year-old sister and the 10-year-old daughter of his father's partner were put in the care of social services. Friends and family thought the boy was in a psychiatric institution, according to their statements, while teachers were told the boy had transferred to a different school, the prosecutor's office said. The prosecutor's office is investigating whether others were aware of the locked-up boy, multiple reports indicate.
The rescue occurred this week when police forced the van open to rescue the boy, according to multiple reports. The boy told police that his father brought him food twice a day and left him bottles of water, according to a low-confidence source. The incident occurred in Hagenbach, Alsace, a village near the borders of Switzerland and Germany, multiple reports indicate.
He had kept the boy in the van since November 2024 to protect him from his 37-year-old partner who 'wanted to put the child in psychiatric care.'
Key unknowns remain in the investigation, including what specific evidence, if any, exists to prove or disprove the partner's claim of not knowing the boy was in the van. Authorities are also examining why the boy's disappearance was not investigated earlier by authorities or social services, given the suspicious circumstances such as the sudden school transfer and neighbor reports. The long-term medical and psychological prognosis for the rescued boy is another critical unknown, as experts assess the impact of prolonged confinement and malnutrition.
Further legal implications hinge on whether other individuals beyond the father and partner will face charges as the investigation continues. Motivational and systemic unknowns include what specific conditions led the father to believe locking the boy in a van was necessary, and whether any prior interventions were attempted by family or social services. The boy's condition upon rescue was severe, with authorities noting he required immediate medical attention due to the effects of long-term confinement.
My father brought me food twice a day and left me bottles of water.
The van was parked near the family's residence, allowing the father to maintain his daily routine while the boy was isolated inside. Community members expressed shock at the discovery, highlighting the village's small size and close-knit nature. Investigators are reviewing all interactions with the family over the past year to determine if any missed opportunities could have led to an earlier rescue.
The case has sparked broader discussions about child protection systems and the need for improved monitoring of at-risk children in France.
I had to urinate in plastic bottles and defecate in bin bags, and the last time I had a shower was at the end of 2024.
My partner did not know the boy was in the van.