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Boy Rescued After 2 Years Locked in Van
11 Apr
Summary
- A 9-year-old boy was found locked in a van, malnourished.
- He had been confined for nearly two years, since he was seven.
- His father claims he did it to 'protect' him from his partner.
A 9-year-old boy was rescued this week after being found locked inside his father's utility van in eastern France. Police were alerted by a neighbor on Monday in Hagenbach, near the Swiss and German borders. Upon forcing the van open, they discovered the child in a severely malnourished state, unable to walk due to prolonged confinement.
The boy, who had been living in the van since late 2024 when he was seven, told investigators he hadn't showered since that year and had been forced to urinate in bottles and defecate in bags. His father, 43, claimed he locked the child in the van to protect him from his partner, 37, who allegedly wanted to send him to a psychiatric hospital. However, prosecutors stated there was no medical record of any psychiatric problems for the boy.
The father has been detained and faces preliminary charges including kidnapping. The partner has been charged with failing to help a minor in danger but denies knowing the boy was in the van. The boy's 12-year-old sister and his partner's 10-year-old daughter have been placed in the care of social services. Investigators are looking into whether others were aware of the boy's situation, as friends and family believed he was in a psychiatric institution.
