The body of Émile Soleil, a two and a half year old boy who had been missing for eight months in France, was found this Saturday, March 30, near the village of Vernet, in the south of the country. The announcement, reported by The worldwas carried out this morning by the Aix-en-Provence Prosecutor’s Office, responsible for the case.
Émile had last been seen at 5:15 pm on July 8, 2023 in the village where he was found after eight months of searching. The child was in the care of his grandparents and was playing in the garden of the house, after taking a nap, when he disappeared. The first alert was given that same day.
According to the French press, the boy had just arrived in the village to spend the summer holidays with his mother’s family. Two neighbors even said they saw him alone in an alley in this region, but the The world recalls that the reports they gave to the police present inconsistencies. In total, 17 people were interviewed by authorities.
Émile’s remains were collected by the French military police, the Gendarmerie Nationale, after it was alerted on Saturday to the presence of bones in a region close to the place where the boy had disappeared. Genetic analysis carried out by the Criminal Investigation Institute confirmed that the remains were those of the child.
“On March 30, 2024, the Gendarmerie Nationale was informed of the discovery of bones near the village of Vernet. The researchers collected the bones, which were immediately transported to the IRCGN to carry out genetic identification analyses, which allowed them to conclude, in the on March 31st, which were the bones of the child Émile Soleil”, says the authorities’ statement.
The investigation into the disappearance of Émile Soleil, considered a kidnapping until now by the authorities, will continue to determine the circumstances of the boy’s death.