An investigation is opened after the worrying disappearance of a child of two and a half years in Vernet, in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence. This boy has escaped the vigilance of his grandparents since Saturday evening.
The alert was given this Saturday at the end of the afternoon by the grandparents. Emile, two and a half years old, disappeared from his grandparents’ home in Vernet, north-east of Digne-les-Bains, in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence. Significant research resources were mobilized to try to find this boy.
“A judicial inquiry has been opened by the public prosecutor of the Digne-les-Bains judicial court”, specifies in a press release the prefecture. The investigation for “disturbing disappearance of a minor” was entrusted to the research section of Marseille, indicated the prosecutor of Digne-les-Bains, Rémy Avon. Franceinfo summarizes what we know about the case.
Emile, two and a half years old, was seen in the village
The child disappeared around 5 p.m. He was then at the home of his grandparents. His last hosted “their only grandson for a week or 15 days of vacation” according to the mayor of Vernet, François Balique. “They were about to have an activity”, continues the chosen one. “They are loading the car to go to this activity. When they wanted to take Émile to take him, fifteen minutes after waking him up from his nap, they noticed that he was no longer there.”
On site, in the family home, there were other family members aged between 14 and 16 years. “The family is large enoughse”, explains François Balique. The grandparents have 10 children. The mayor of Vernet assures that the inhabitants of the village have seen Emile “going down the road”. “They saw him pass at the time that corresponds to when he escaped the vigilance of the grandparents. There is no gate. The children are free in the villages, there is no of danger. It’s a quiet village.” The grandparents were interviewed to guide the research.
Significant research resources mobilized
An investigation has been opened by the police. Since the establishment of a warrant of disappearance, “about thirty soldiers, including members of the PGHM, the high mountain gendarmerie platoon”were deployed. “Several dog teams and two helicopters are also mobilized”, specifies the gendarmerie. There were only 5 hours of research break between 1am and 6am on the night of Saturday to Sunday.
According to the mayor, “about sixty volunteers from the village and also from the surrounding villages” assist law enforcement in searches. “Utremendous solidarity has been created”assures François Balique. “Teams on foot have raked every forest. We rake every bush, every square meter of hay”.
Research continues and concern grows. “Everything is possible”sighs the mayor. “There is necessarily an answer. We don’t know it, but we hope it will be very positive and favorable. Fortunately, the night was not very cool, 12-13 degrees, we are at 1,300 meters above sea level. ‘altitude.”
The thesis of the “improbable” kidnapping according to the mayor
Field “around the house is steep”, report the gendarmes. The mayor of the town indicates that there are “dangerous areas where he could have slipped”. At franceinfo, François Balique specifies that Emile, two and a half years old, is considered a child who is “a very good walker”.
The elected judge “improbable”, at this time, the trail of the kidnapping. “Haut-Vernet is a cul-de-sac”, describes the mayor of the village. “We see all the passing cars. You can imagine, we are in Haute-Provence, a small village in which there are about twenty houses, you can see everything. After he passed on a path and someone passed… We can imagine everything, but it is more than unlikely in my opinion. Here, every passing car is checked, that’s how it is, that’s village life.”