A 9-year-old boy has been rescued after living locked in his father’s utility van in eastern France since 2024, according to the local prosecutor. The child has been hospitalized, and his father detained.
The boy’s father told investigators that he put the child in the truck in November 2024 “to protect him” because his partner wanted to send the then 7-year-old to a psychiatric hospital, the prosecutor said.
Heitz said there was no medical record that the boy had any psychiatric problems before he disappeared and that he had had good grades in school.
The boy told investigators that he had “big difficulties” with his father’s partner and thought his father “had no choice” but to lock him up, according to the prosecutor. He said he hadn’t showered since 2024.
Jesus. Intentionally did that to his kid as a “punishment”.
Jesus. Intentionally did that to his kid as a “punishment”.