what we know about the disappearance of Marciano, 7, in Niort

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The lifeless body of a child was found in the Sèvre, late Friday morning, but it has not yet been formally identified.

He was last seen on Sunday April 9 in Niort (Deux-Sèvres). Marciano, 7, has been actively sought for six days. On Monday, the police had issued a call for witnesses to find this child who has autism spectrum disorders. One of his shoes had been discovered on the banks of the Sèvre. Friday April 14, the lifeless body of a child was fished out of the river at the end of the morning, but it has not yet been formally identified, franceinfo learned from the prosecution. Here is what we know about this case.

Marciano was last seen at the foot of his building

According to France 3 Nouvelle-Aquitaine, before disappearing, the little boy was seen on Sunday afternoon, around 4 p.m., while he was playing at the foot of the building where his family lives, in the Tour Chabot district, in Niort.

Marciano “is a child who does not express himself and who hides”told AFP Julien Wattebled, public prosecutor in Niort.

A call for witnesses launched

The first searches having yielded nothing, a call for witnesses was launched by the police on Monday and an investigation was opened for worrying disappearance. The message posted on Twitter by the police states that “the child disappeared on Sunday between 2 and 6 p.m.” in the “Tour Chabot sector” but that “the research extends over the Port Boinot, CAC, and Pré Leroy sector”.

“While a first testimony stated that he was wearing cleats and a football, it is now established that he was actually dressed in jogging, a T-shirt and tap shoes”, the prosecutor said in a statement. Anyone who sees the child or has information is invited to contact the Niort police station on 05 49 28 72 00 or dial 17. According to France Bleu and France 2, dhe volunteers went to explore other sectors and put up posters to relay the call for witnesses and the child’s photo.

A sandal found on the banks of the Sèvre Niortaise

Tuesday, late afternoon, a shoe was found on the banks of the Sèvre in the city center of Niort. According to the public prosecutor, quoted by the New Republic, “the shoe found has been confirmed to belong to the missing child.” Two dogs also stopped near a lock.

“We have no element giving rise to fear of an abduction, but we are checking, in particular on the images” CCTV, the magistrate told AFP. “We are concentrating efforts on the Sèvre but we are also looking in town. (…) We went around the cellars, to see if it was not hidden or not lost, we check all the video protection images”added Julien Wattebled.

A child’s body recovered from the Sèvre

In total, “123 national police, national gendarmerie and firefighters take turns to conduct the search”, specifies the prosecutor in a point of situation, Thursday, consulted by franceinfo. Investigators also called in dog teams, drones and a helicopter equipped with a thermal camera. On Thursday, the rescue received reinforcement from the Nautical Brigade of La Rochelle, with four additional divers and a depth sounder.

After “an extensive neighborhood survey and a door-to-door operation”urban security investigators “multiply the hearings and verifications, in particular via the exploitation of all the video protection cameras of the city of Niort and the video recordings of the shops located near the place of disappearance”, details the prosecutor in his press release. Friday, late morning, the lifeless body of a child was found in the Sèvre. The prosecutor requested the intervention of a medical examiner to identify the victim.


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