French Authorities Rescue 9-Year-Old Boy Confined in Van for Over a Year

A 9-year-old boy was rescued this week in Hagenbach, eastern France, after being confined in his father's utility van since November 2024. The child was found malnourished and unable to walk due to prolonged immobility. He has been hospitalized, and his father has been detained.

Police were alerted by a neighbor who heard "sounds of a child" coming from a van on Monday in the village near the borders of Switzerland and Germany, according to a statement from Prosecutor Nicolas Heitz provided Saturday. Upon forcing the van open, officers discovered the boy lying naked in a fetal position under a blanket, surrounded by trash and excrement. The child was clearly malnourished and could no longer walk after being in a seated position for so long, according to the statement.

The 43-year-old father told investigators he confined the child to protect him from his partner, who wanted to send the boy to a psychiatric hospital. However, the prosecutor noted there was no medical record indicating the boy had any psychiatric problems before he disappeared, and that he had good grades in school.

The father faces preliminary charges of kidnapping and other offenses and remains in custody. His 37-year-old partner denied knowledge of the boy's confinement. She was handed preliminary charges, including failure to help a minor in danger, and released under judicial supervision.

The boy's 12-year-old ... have been placed in the care of social ... . Authorities are investigating whether others were aware of ... situation, as friends and family believed he was in a psychiatric institution, and his teachers were told he had transferred ... .

Residents of Hagenbach expressed shock at the incident, stating they were unaware of the boy ... . The prosecutor declined to comment further pending the ongoing investigation.