A nine-year-old boy has been rescued after being locked in his father's van since November 2024 in eastern France, prosecutors said. The child was found malnourished and unable to walk after neighbours reported hearing sounds coming from the vehicle in Hagenbach, near the Swiss and German borders.
Police forced open the van on Monday and discovered the boy lying in a foetal position, naked and covered by a blanket on top of a pile of rubbish and excrement, according to prosecutor Nicolas Heitz. The child had been kept in the utility vehicle by his 43-year-old father, who claimed he was protecting him from his partner, who allegedly wanted to place the boy in psychiatric care.
The boy told police his father brought him food twice a day and left bottles of water. He said he urinated in plastic bottles and defecated in bin bags, and had not showered since the end of 2024. The father's partner, aged 37, reportedly did not know the boy was in the van.
The father has been charged with sequestration, arbitrary detention of a minor, and depriving him of food and medical care. He has been remanded in custody. The partner faces charges of failing to assist a minor in danger and failing to report mistreatment, and has been granted conditional bail.
The three children in the household, including the boy's 12-year-old sister and 10-year-old half-sister, have been placed in temporary care. Neighbours said they had not seen the boy since late 2024 and were told he had been placed in care. Some reported hearing noises from the van but were told it was a cat.
