The grandparents of a French toddler who went missing nearly two years ago have been arrested on suspicion of his homicide, prosecutors mentioned Tuesday.
Two-year-old Émile Soleil disappeared from his grandparents’ backyard in Le Haut-Vernet, a hamlet within the French Alps, in July 2023. 9 months after his disappearance, his stays had been found by a hiker close to the village.
Now the lengthy investigation into the toddler’s dying has taken a stunning flip with 4 people — together with Émile’s grandparents and two of their grownup kids — being taken into police custody.
Emile’s grandfather Philippe Vedovini and his spouse, who was not named by the prosecutor, had been arrested within the commune of La Bouilladisse on suspicion of “voluntary murder” and “concealing a corpse,” based on a press release by the Aix-en-Provence public prosecutor.
Emile’s disappearance gripped the nation as lengthy and widespread searches yielded nothing. His mother and father had been absent on the day he vanished. On the time they advised a Christian web site they nonetheless hoped for a miracle.
Gendarmes stand exterior the home of the grandparents of Emile Solei in La Bouilladisse, southeastern France, on March 25, 2025. – Clement Mahoudeau/AFP/Getty Pictures
The case additionally sparked media consideration, notably surrounding Émile’s grandfather, who, based on CNN affiliate BFMTV, was questioned by police within the Nineties over alleged violence and sexual assault at a personal college. However police had thought-about his involvement as just one doable rationalization behind the boy’s tragic dying.
Earlier this month, investigators returned to Le Vernet, with forensic groups combing by way of “a number of spots within the space.” The prosecutor confirmed that forensic operations are nonetheless ongoing in numerous places, with new developments anticipated because the investigation unfolds.
CNN has reached out to the grandparents’ lawyer.
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