Paris — A 9-year-old boy has been rescued after living locked in his father’s truck in eastern France since 2024, according to a local prosecutor. The child was taken to the hospital and his father was detained.
Police were alerted by a neighbor to “child sounds” coming from a pickup truck on Monday in the village of Hagenbach, near the borders with Switzerland and Germany, according to a statement released Saturday from Public Prosecutor Nicola Heitz.
After forcefully opening the truck, officers found the child “lying in the fetal position, naked, and covered with a blanket on top of a pile of trash and near feces,” Hitz said. The boy was clearly malnourished and was no longer able to walk after being in a sitting position for so long, according to the statement.
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 to indicate that the boy had any psychological problems before his disappearance and that he got good grades in school.
An outside view of the building where a 9-year-old boy was rescued after living locked in his father’s truck since 2024, in Hagenbach, eastern France, Saturday, April 11, 2026.
The boy told investigators that he had had “great difficulties” with his father’s partner, and believed his father “had no choice” but to lock him up, according to the prosecutor, adding that he had not showered since 2024.
The father was charged with initial kidnapping and other charges and remanded in custody. His partner denied knowing that the boy was in the truck, according to the public prosecutor. She was charged with preliminary charges, including failure to assist a minor in danger, and was released under judicial supervision.
The boy’s 12-year-old sister and his father’s partner’s 10-year-old daughter were placed in the care of social services.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office is investigating whether others knew about the boy’s detention.
Friends and family told investigators they believed the boy was in a psychiatric hospital. His teachers were told that he had transferred to another school, according to the prosecutor’s office.
The authorities did not announce the names of the victim or his relatives.
Hagenbach residents contacted by The Associated Press expressed shock Saturday about the cases and said they did not know the boy’s whereabouts, but did not want to discuss the details.
The prosecutor declined to comment further to The Associated Press pending further investigation.
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