A French court placed a 43-year-old father in pre-trial detention for one year after police rescued his 9-year-old son from a delivery van in Hagenbach. The boy had been imprisoned in the vehicle since 2024.
Police found the child naked and in a fetal position, covered by a blanket and lying on a pile of waste, and excrement. He’s severely malnourished and unable to walk due to the prolonged confinement. He’s currently receiving emergency care in a hospital.
A neighbor’s report led to the rescue
A resident of the village, which has fewer than 800 inhabitants, alerted authorities after hearing children’s voices coming from the vehicle. The van was parked on the courtyard of a residential complex in the Alsace region, about 30 kilometers from Mulhouse.
The boy’s half-sister told investigators that her father drove the van to work every day. The child’s sisters, aged 10 and 12, were removed from the home this week.
Why the father claimed the boy was hidden
The father admitted to the confinement and the failure to provide care. He told investigators he wanted to “protect” his son since his 37-year-old partner wanted the boy admitted to a psychiatric institution.
The father claims his partner didn’t know the child was in the van. The boy stated the partner no longer wanted him in the house.
Legal proceedings target both parents
Nicolas Heitz, the prosecutor of Mulhouse, announced the father’s one-year detention. The man faces charges including kidnapping and abuse.
Prosecutors charged the father’s partner with failure to provide assistance to a minor. She denies knowing the boy was imprisoned in the vehicle.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office is investigating why the child wasn’t discovered sooner. The boy attended a school in Mulhouse, but officials closed his file after the family claimed he had moved.
What was the condition of the boy when he was found?
The boy was naked, in a fetal position, and severely malnourished. He was unable to walk and was found lying on waste and excrement.
Who else faces charges in this case?
The father’s 37-year-old partner is charged with failure to provide assistance to a minor.