Missing French toddler: People of Le Vernet living in fear a week after disappearance of little Émile

Updated on July 17, 2023 at 10:18 AM

More than a week after his disappearance, two-and-a-half-year-old Émile is still missing. In and around the little town of Le Vernet, parents are getting increasingly concerned.

French village Le Vernet lives in fear after the disappearance of 2-year-old Emile

What happened to little Émile? While a preliminary inquiry is due to open on Monday, July 17, 2023, the two-and-a-half-year-old, who disappeared in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence region on Saturday, July 8, is still missing. Since then, the parents, residents and tourists of Le Vernet have been particularly worried about their children.

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Émile's disappearance has a whole region worried

According to La Dépêche, the region's summer camp organizers are not serene. One of them spoke to the French media, expressing their fear.

We're afraid it might happen to one of our kids, which is why we're always counting them. We round them up when they start running around. From time to time, we have to shout at them because they don't listen.

The same concerns apply to the Lac de Serre-Ponçon, a popular tourist destination in the south of France, where parents are being urged to be even more careful and to never let their toddlers out of their sight. A mother spoke to French media BFM DICI.

We're more worried and we're more careful, even though we were already very careful before. If we lose sight of him for two seconds, we're more worried, whereas before, we'd turn around, see him, and that's it.

A grandmother also expressed her fears to BFM.

It's a bit more worrying, because we're very close to where it happened, that's why I think. I stay close to her, I never leave her unattended.

Emile's disappearance from Le Vernet: What stage has the investigation reached?

Accident, homicide, kidnapping... According to Rémy Avon, the public prosecutor in Digne-les-Bains, the police are considering every possibility at the moment. However, a preliminary investigation should be opened this Monday, July 17, 2023, into the disappearance of little Émile, a week after he vanished into thin air.

This article has been translated from Oh!MyMag FR.

Sources used :

La Dépêche: DIRECT. Disparition d'Emile : une enquête préliminaire ouverte ce lundi

BFMTV: "ON EST PLUS INQUIETS": APRÈS LA DISPARITION D'ÉMILE, L'ANGOISSE DES PARENTS DU DÉPARTEMENT