Where did little Emile go? The two-and-a-half-year-old child has disappeared, Saturday, July 9, around 6 p.m., at Vernet, in a hamlet in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence where he escaped the vigilance of his grandparents. 24 hours after his disappearance, “no hypothesis is preferred” hammered the public prosecutor of Digne-les-Bains, Rémy Avon, during a press briefing on Sunday evening, nothing yet allowing to speak of an accident or a kidnapping. Follow our live.
The child was seen by two witnesses. According to the first elements emerging from two testimonies, the child left “the place of residence of his grandparents” and was seen “in a downhill street by two people. This is where we then lose track of him”, declared Sunday the public prosecutor, during a press conference in Vernet.
The next few hours “will be crucial”, according to the prefect. “The gendarmerie was called at 6 p.m. yesterday, significant resources were mobilized“, explained the prefect of the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, Marc Chappuis, Sunday evening. “The research focused around a perimeter of 5 km around the grandparents’ house”and the “Next 48 hours will be crucial”he continued.
Some dog markings around. “For the moment, we have had some markings (by dogs from the canine teams) which give rise to verification”, said the prosecutor on Sunday, while recalling that this is information to be taken with precaution, “since it is the sense of smell of dogs and that we are in a rural environment, in a mountain environment, and that there may be parasitic elements”. “Home visits” were also carried out at Vernet, without providing any conclusive evidence, he also noted.
A call for witnesses launched. The prosecution launched a call for witnesses at middaywith the photo and description of the child broadcast on all media. The child has brown eyes, blond hair, he is 90 centimeters tall and wears an outfit with a yellow top, white shorts with a green pattern and hiking shoes. In case of information, you must contact 04 92 36 73 00. The criteria for triggering an abduction alert were not “to date not reunited”, insisted the prosecutor.