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A severely underweight 9-year-old boy was discovered in the fetal position inside his father’s utility vehicle in eastern France earlier this week, reportedly having been confined to the vehicle for two years.
The child, who could not walk due to prolonged immobility, was found on Monday after a resident reported hearing “childlike sounds” emanating from the van, as stated by local prosecutor Nicolas Heitz on Saturday.
Law enforcement officials in the hamlet of Hagenbach, near the borders of Switzerland and Germany, discovered the boy “in a fetal posture, unclothed, covered by a cloth on a pile of refuse and in proximity to waste” after forcing entry into the van, Heitz reported.
The boy informed authorities that he had not been bathed since 2024.
A 9-year-old boy was rescued on April 11, 2026, after being confined in his father’s utility van since 2024 in Hagenbach, France. (AP Photo)
The boy’s father was accused of abduction. He asserted to investigators that he had imprisoned his son in the van in November 2024 to “safeguard” him from his partner, who allegedly intended to commit him to a psychiatric facility, according to the prosecutor.
However, the prosecutor indicated that there was no medical documentation supporting the boy’s alleged psychiatric issues, and he had achieved satisfactory academic results.
When the boy went missing, his educators were informed that he had transferred to a different educational institution.
The father’s partner, who denied any awareness of the boy being confined in the van, has also been charged, including for failing to provide assistance to a minor in peril.
The boy’s relatives and acquaintances conveyed to the police that they were under the impression the boy was residing in a psychiatric institution.
A vehicle passes by a road marker at the entry to Hagenbach, France, where a 9-year-old boy was recovered on April 11, 2026, after being held captive in his father’s utility van since 2024. (AP)
The boy’s 12-year-old sibling and the 10-year-old daughter of the father’s partner are currently under the supervision of social services.
The boy has been transported to a medical facility.
A 9-year-old boy was rescued on April 11, 2026, after being confined in his father’s utility van since 2024 in Hagenbach, France. (AP)
He informed officials that he believed his father had no alternative but to confine him in the van and that he had experienced “significant challenges” with his father’s partner.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.