A French man has been charged after his nine-year-old son was found locked in a van in eastern France, where police say the boy had been kept since 2024.
The child, described as malnourished, was rescued in the village of Hagenbach, close to the borders with Switzerland and Germany, after a neighbour reported hearing what sounded like a child coming from a vehicle.
According to a prosecutor, the neighbour contacted police after noticing the noise. Officers then intervened and freed the boy.
The case has prompted concern in the local community because of the length of time the child is said to have been confined. The source report does not provide further details about the father’s identity, the boy’s condition beyond malnourishment, or the circumstances that led to the alleged confinement.
Hagenbach is a small village in eastern France, and the rescue took place after the neighbour’s alert led police to the van. Prosecutors have said the father is now facing charges in connection with the case.
The incident remains under investigation.
