A 9-year-old boy has been rescued in eastern France(🇫🇷) after reportedly being locked inside his father's van since 2024.

 Authorities were alerted when a neighbor heard what seemed like a child inside a parked van in Hagenbach, a village near the borders of Switzerland and Germany. When police forced the vehicle open, they found the boy in very poor condition; he was naked, malnourished, and curled up under a blanket on top of trash, near human waste.

Officials say the child had been locked up for so long that he could no longer walk. According to prosecutor Nicolas Heitz, the boy's father claimed he locked him in the van in November 2024 to "protect him." He allegedly wanted to stop his partner from sending the child to a psychiatric facility. However, investigators found no medical or psychological issues in the boy's records, and he was reportedly doing well in school before he went missing.

The child told authorities he had conflicts with his father's partner and felt his father "had no choice" but to keep him locked up. He also revealed he had not bathed since 2024. The father has been detained and faces charges related to kidnapping. His partner denies knowing the child was in the van but has been charged with failing to assist a minor in danger and released under supervision.

Meanwhile, the boy's siblings—a 12-year-old sister and another child from the father's partner—have been placed under social services care. Investigators are working to find out if anyone else knew about the situation. Friends and family reportedly thought the boy had been placed in a psychiatric institution, while his school was told he had transferred to another one. Residents in the area expressed shock, saying they had no idea what was happening. 

The case remains under investigation.