The truth coming out ?

[Pathca]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvge6jx3l90o
It always felt like there was something ‘odd’ about this child’s disappearance

[Blaze]

I thought at the time it was strange that 2 neighbours in a small hamlet, where everyone would know each other, saw the toddler wandering about on his own yet didn't do anything about it. But that could have been because Emile's family were thought to be a bit weird. The grandparents apparently had 10 children (they're devout Catholics), all of whom were home-schooled. The house where Emile disappeared was the grandparent's holiday home and was not fenced. The other 2 people arrested were an uncle and aunt of Emile.

It's possible that Emile had an accident and the family tried to cover it up. This is far from unheard of in France and it maybe that Emile's parents were afraid their other child would be put into care.

[Lori]

I also read that the grandfather was involved in some sort of affair involving child abuse. It was in yesterday's headlines. From the DM, sorry, that's where I saw it.

"Mr Vedovini, it re-emerged, was investigated as part of an active criminal enquiry into child abuse in the 1990s.

‘It is above all his past that raises questions,’ writes Le Parisien, as it outlined details of a sex abuse scandal at a Roman Catholic school.

It also confirmed that Mr Vedovini – who denies any wrongdoing and was not charged with any offence following the child abuse investigation – ‘has attracted the attention of gendarmes and constitutes one of their many lines of enquiry.’

"Mr Vedovini, who was known as Brother Philippe when he worked at the school between 1991 and 1994, was implicated in the enquiry as an ‘assisted witness’.

Interviewed by police in April 2018, he admitted to administering ‘somewhat harsh’ physical discipline, but said he had never broken the law, according to a source close to the enquiry."

[Blaze]

Mr Vedovini, who was known as Brother Philippe when he worked at the school between 1991 and 1994, was implicated in the enquiry as an ‘assisted witness’.

The school, the pensionnat de Liévin (Pas-de-Calais) took a lot of children of poor families but had a reputation for extreme harshness. In 2022, 11 members of staff were accused of rape, sexual violence and ill-treatment (article from Le Monde).
It would not be surprising if "Brother Philippe" had been involved in more than just "harsh physical discipline" but there needs to be evidence. It's quite possible that people will now come forward as they have in the Bétharram and Notre Dame de Garaison affairs.

[exile]

I thought at the time it was strange that 2 neighbours in a small hamlet, where everyone would know each other, saw the toddler wandering about on his own yet didn't do anything about it.

I am not so sure Blaze. The road through Haut Vernet is essentially a dead end so traffic levels would be very low.

Here in a much bigger village we see neighbours' children wandering about and we have a main road running through. Unless the children get close to the main road, which would certainly be a danger, no one seems to particularly react. It seems to be regarded as part of growing up to be able to explore the neighbourhood.

[Blaze]

The road through Haut Vernet is essentially a dead end so traffic levels would be very low.

I would have thought that 2½ is rather young to be wandering about unattended, particularly from a family known to keep themselves to themselves. But the garden was unfenced, so it would have been easy for him to wander off when his grandparents weren't looking.

There are so many hypotheses as to what happened, some of which have been dismissed. I seem to remember reading that DNA which had been found on Emile's clothes did not belong to the family.

I cannot imagine what Emile's parents must be going through ....

[exile]

That is about the age that some round here start to wander about and it still seems strange to us. Having posted earlier I thought some more about this and wonder whether part of this letting them wander is in communes and hamlets like this gardens and houses are often separated due to the way parcels of land are inherited - and as you note, will often have no fences.

I was brought up on the edge of a large town, but inn what was essentially a cul de sac. Houses on our side of the road had garages accessed from a back alley. Houses on the opposite side were police houses. Traffic was sparse. At the end of the road was a large open but unused field, open on all sides except where it touched gardens. This was our playground and I had free and unaccompanied access from around age 4 - older than Emile but I am sure now it would be considered as neglect.

[Blaze]

This was our playground and I had free and unaccompanied access from around age 4 - older than Emile but I am sure now it would be considered as neglect.

You're probably right and I think we were fortunate to have had that freedom as children. You'd have thought that Haut-Vernay would be perfect for children, which makes it seem there might be more to Emile's disappearance than meets the eye.

[Headers]

I also saw a press snippet yesterday saying that the family priest had committed suicide a couple of weeks ago.

[Blaze]

Apparently the priest (who baptised Emile) released a photo of the little boy to the press and relation between the family and the priests family have been tense for quite a while.

Apparently the 4 people in garde à vue have been released without charge.
https://www.charentelibre.fr/faits-dive ... 798434.php

The newspapers publish information that may just be journalistic views, it's not always easy to know. In the same publication as the above, it is suggested that Emile's remains were put where they were found after having been kept somewhere else.

La découverte des ossements d’Émile mise en scène ?

Des analyses menées sur les vêtements du petit garçon retrouvés à proximité des ossements, indiqueraient, elles, que le tee-shirt de l’enfant ne présenterait pas de trace de décomposition humaine, laissant penser qu’il n’aurait pas été en contact avec le corps. Et alimentant à la fois les pistes d’une intervention humaine dans la disparition du petit Émile, voire d’une possible mise en scène macabre ayant mené à la découverte des ossements.