Sad certainty

Bones of missing two-year-old found

The bones of two-year-old Émile were discovered by hikers over the Easter weekend. The boy had disappeared in France last summer.(Bild: APA/AFP/CHRISTOPHE SIMON)

Sad certainty in France: almost nine months after a two-year-old disappeared without a trace, investigators have found the child's bones. According to the gendarmerie, a person discovered the bones while out walking near the mountain village of Le Vernet. According to the Aix-en-Provence public prosecutor's office, genetic analysis by investigators on Sunday revealed that the bones were those of Émile, who had been missing since the beginning of July.

According to media reports, the child's skull was found. Special forces from the gendarmerie were out on Sunday to continue searching the area around the discovery site.

The bones of two-year-old Émile were discovered by hikers over the Easter weekend. The boy had disappeared in France last summer.(Bild: APA/AFP/CHRISTOPHE SIMON)

Grandparents lost sight of Émile
Émile's disappearance caused great horror in France. Months later, the media interest in the case is still high. The two-and-a-half-year-old boy had been on vacation with his grandparents in the southern French town of Le Vernet when they lost sight of him in the evening of 8 July. Several other relatives were also staying with the grandparents at the time. Two witnesses claimed to have seen the toddler running down a street.

The case of two-year-old Émile, who disappeared last summer in the southern French town of Le Vernet, made many headlines. Now the boy's skull has been found.(Bild: APA/AFP/@GendarmerieNationale_Twitter/Handout)

In the days and weeks following the boy's disappearance, the police repeatedly searched the surrounding area with a large contingent. Cadaver sniffer dogs also combed the area. Investigators searched homes in the small village with just 125 inhabitants.

The remote village was only cordoned off on Thursday in order to recreate the day of the disappearance on the spot. The investigators are investigating kidnapping and false imprisonment, but have not ruled out the possibility of an accident.

Bones found incomplete
According to the newspaper "Le Parisien", the bones that have now been found are incomplete. The skull of the boy was discovered. This was also reported by the BFMTV channel. However, the cause of the child's death is still unclear, the station wrote, citing investigators. "The next 48 hours will be decisive", the medium quoted the source as saying.

According to "Parisien", it is also unclear whether the bones were found in an area that had already been searched by dogs or not. The bones could also have arrived at the site later, for example due to heavy rain.

"Relieved, but sad"
The mayor of the village of Le Vernet, François Balique, told BFMTV about the discovery of the bones: "I am relieved, but very sad, because I had hoped that he would be found alive." The village had been unaware of the discovery the day before.

Hikers discovered the bones of little Émile near the mountain village of Le Vernet.(Bild: APA/AFP/CHRISTOPHE SIMON)

According to the two media outlets, Émile's family was informed of the discovery of the bones in the morning. The parents' lawyer did not want to comment when asked by the "Parisien".

In the fall, on the occasion of the boy's birthday, Émile's mother sent a voice message to anyone who knew anything about the disappearance of her child. "For pity's sake, tell us where Émile is!" she said, "Give him back to us!"