A malnourished nine-year-old boy was rescued after being locked in his father’s van since 2024 in eastern France, a prosecutor said. He added the child was malnourished and could no longer walk because he had been sitting down for so long. The boy told police his father brought him food twice a day and left him bottles of water, according to Le Parisien newspaper. According to the father, his partner did not know the boy was in the van. Some local residents said they heard noises occasionally emanating from the van, but had been told it was a cat.

Source: The Guardian April 12, 2026 00:39 UTC