Father confirms the boy's statementsSon (9) locked in van – investigators share new, frightening details

Father locked his son in vans for a year

In Mulhouse, police arrested a 43-year-old man earlier this week, because he is said to have locked his own son in a van for over a year. The man is said to have lived in an apartment with his partner and two other children, while his son was stuck in the vehicle in the yard of the house.

Many questions are still unanswered – but little by little more and more details are becoming known.

This is how the couple explained the boy's disappearance

For example, the French news channel BFM, citing a statement from the public prosecutor's office, reports that neighbors stated that the child “disappeared overnight” in 2024. The couple explained their absence by saying that the boy was taken into care “due to his psychological problems”.

However, according to the public prosecutor's office, there is currently no medical evidence for the psychological problems that the boy is said to have, according to the couple, writes BFM. The nine-year-old was also “included in preschool (first grade) in Mulhouse until 2024” and his academic performance was therefore “very good”.

The neighbors also said they kept hearing noises coming from the van, but when asked about it, the father always explained it as a cat. He also wanted to give the police a reason for the noises inside the van when they arrived. He reportedly stated that his daughter locked herself in the vehicle while searching for something and that he was unable to open the doors due to a malfunction in the locking system. After 30 minutes, the police managed to free the boy.

Father in custody, partner denies everything

In addition to the the boy's previous statementsthat he had been locked in the van since September or December 2024 and that he last showered at the end of 2024, BFM writes that he also said, He had a bundle of clothes with him, had to urinate in plastic bottles and relieve himself in garbage bags. His father threw food and drink into his van twice a day.

In the summer of 2025, when the rest of the family was on vacation, the father allowed his son to go into the apartment. He gave him a cell phone, which he used to tell his son when he was allowed to get out of the van or when he could leave the apartment.

The father is now said to have confirmed the boy's statements, while his partner denies all allegations. According to the BFM, the man is currently in custody and a hearing is planned for next Monday (April 13). The woman is under judicial supervision.

Source used: BFM