in Haut-Vernet, “the whole village would like to know the end of the story to calm the spirits”

Around a hundred gendarmes have been mobilized since Sunday morning near the hamlet of Haut-Vernet after a walker discovered part of little Émile’s bones. This little two and a half year old boy disappeared last July while he was with his grandparents. Experts from the gendarmerie are now dispatched to the area to comb the area, looking for traces and clues that could help understand the circumstances of his death.

Of the hundred gendarmes mobilized, around thirty focused on combing the area where little Émile’s bones were discovered, with the help of specialized dogs. Among the investigators present, there are experts from the gendarmerie’s criminal research institute, who arrived from Pontoise, in the Paris region. They are specialized in anthropology, forensic medicine and even crime scene fixation.

Searches “as long as necessary”

The search area is located a little over a kilometer from Haut-Vernet, an area that Rolland, a resident of the hamlet, knows well because he has fields there. This resident describes rugged terrain. “It’s a kind of steppe that’s a little bit hilly with stones and small valleys that go down to 2 or 3 meters deep, with an old cut that left branches, pieces of wood that are quite difficult to access. “describes Rolland.

“For a small child, in my opinion, it is not possible. For a team of gendarmes, it is not impassable, but for a small child, it is impassable…”

Rolland, a resident

at franceinfo

Only the investigation will make it possible to say if the little boy was able to go to this area, alone, if it was here that he died or if his bones could have been moved afterwards. The police are not ruling out any leads.

In the village of Vernet, the inhabitants are in any case waiting for these answers, because the discovery of part of the bones of little Émile and the confirmation of his death has caused great emotion. “I started crying because I was in shock at the news of his death”testifies in particular Hélène, another resident, moved because “He’s still a little boy, because his photos have been seen everywhere, so it’s a shock”. And to confide: “I believe that here, in the village, everyone would like to know the end of the story, beyond curiosity, to calm minds.”

Hélène, who has children, is also waiting for answers to know her family is safe. “If only to be more serene when my children go to play outside. If it’s an accident I will be more reassured to let them run in nature than if we know it’s a kidnapping for example”she confides. The hamlet of Haut-Vernet will remain cut off from the world this week and the search will continue as long as necessary, specifies the gendarmerie.