French Father Charged After Locking Son in Van Since 2024, Boy Found Malnourished
A shocking case of child abuse has emerged in eastern France, where a nine-year-old boy was rescued after being locked in his father's van since November 2024. Police intervened following a neighbour's report of sounds of a child coming from the vehicle in the village of Hagenbach, near the borders of Switzerland and Germany.
On Monday, officers forced open the van to discover the boy lying in a foetal position, naked, and covered by a blanket atop a mound of trash and near excrement, according to prosecutor Nicolas Heitz. The child was severely malnourished and could no longer walk due to prolonged sitting.
Father's Disturbing Justification
The 43-year-old father claimed he confined his son to protect him from his 37-year-old partner, who allegedly wanted to place the child in psychiatric care. The couple lived in a block of flats with the boy's siblings—a 12-year-old sister and a 10-year-old half-sister—while the boy was hidden in the utility vehicle.
According to Le Parisien newspaper, the boy told police his father brought him food twice daily and left water bottles, but he had to urinate in plastic bottles and defecate in bin bags. He last showered at the end of 2024, and the father asserted his partner was unaware of the confinement.
Legal Charges and Community Reaction
The father has been charged with sequestration and arbitrary detention of a minor, along with depriving him of proper food and medical care, and is remanded in custody. His partner faces charges of non-assistance to a minor in danger and non-denunciation of mistreatment, granted conditional bail.
All three children have been placed in temporary care pending a children's court decision. Neighbours reported the boy seemed to vanish suddenly in late 2024, with the couple explaining he was in care. Some residents heard noises from the van but were told it was a cat.
One neighbour, Danielle, described the situation as truly devastating, telling Sky News: We don't understand it. It's horrific, there are no words. I never once noticed anything, never heard anything ... It feels like we're living in a movie or a dream.
