Two teenagers have been arrested after an 11-year-old boy was discovered with a wet towel tightly tied around his neck on the banks of a river in France. Prosecutors confirmed that a 16-year-old boy was detained at his home, while a 15-year-old girl presented herself to police and was taken into custody.
Discovery of the Victim
The victim's body was found after a fisherman alerted emergency services to the cries of a child near the River Vilaine in the northwestern city of Rennes. Divers were seen searching the river on the day of the incident, while several police vehicles blocked off the area.
Prosecutor's Statement
Rennes prosecutor Frederic Teillet stated that the two young individuals seen with the victim at the scene are now in police custody, facing charges of murder of a minor. He clarified that the victim was 11 years old, not 12 as initially reported.
A 57-year-old witness named Stephane, who was walking near the scene, expressed disbelief: "A child of around 10, I can't believe it."
Emergency Response
According to the newspaper Ouest-France, firefighters intervened to assist the victim, who was suffering from cardiac and respiratory arrest. Despite resuscitation attempts, the boy was pronounced dead at the scene.
The incident took place in a wooded area at the foot of several apartment buildings, below a bridge crossing the Vilaine River. This site, frequently visited by fishermen, is a ten-minute walk from the historic Place du Parlement-de-Bretagne.
