June 4, 2026, 8:46 p.mJune 4, 2026, 8:46 p.m
The police have already arrested a suspect.Image: www.imago-images.de
For days France feared the fate of a missing eleven-year-old, and now a body has been discovered in a grain silo. Prosecutor Olivier Naboulet said a child’s body was found near Toulouse wearing clothing similar to that of the eleven-year-old at the time of her disappearance, French media reported. An autopsy should provide certainty about the identity and cause of death.
The child stopped reporting after school ended on Friday afternoon last week in the small southern French community of Fleurance near Toulouse. A 41-year-old man was later arrested, in whose car the girl had been riding in the afternoon, according to surveillance camera footage. The man said that he had dropped the child off at the swimming pool at his request, but he became entangled in contradictions.
There were already complaints against the suspects
As it turned out, there were several tips and complaints against the man, particularly for raping minors. Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin said the judiciary’s handling of the information about the suspect was “completely unacceptable.” “We are all appalled by this failure, which reveals our poor organization and undoubtedly indicates, in the Ministry of Justice and elsewhere, that we do not take children’s statements seriously.”
The case has already caused a lot of excitement in France because of the evidence of a judicial failure. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu wants to schedule an emergency meeting with the Justice and Interior Ministers on Friday, broadcaster BFMTV reported. (sda/dpa)