Suspected abduction of 11-year-old girl in Gers: suspect detained for questioning
A secondary school pupil went missing on Friday 29 May in Fleurance. A local resident aged 41 has been arrested and is currently being questioned by investigators.
Suspected abduction of 11-year-old girl in Gers: suspect detained for questioning
On Friday 29 May, in the afternoon, an 11-year-old child went missing in Fleurance, in the Gers department. The secondary school pupil did not return from her school. Gendarmes arrested a man in his fifties from the department who is currently in police custody.
Since the following morning, a military helicopter equipped with infrared cameras has been flying over the town in search of the missing child. Underwater specialists have also inspected a body of water nearby.
The girl's relatives alerted the authorities as soon as she went missing. They ruled out the possibility of her running away. Her father, Martial Bernard, is categorical: "For me, it is certain: she was abducted. There is no other explanation. She did not leave of her own accord." Her mother, Charlie Rameau, admits that her daughter is "easily influenced".
According to her usual schedule, the young girl should have left her secondary school at 5 p.m. However, a passer-by saw her getting into a car two hours before this scheduled time. The owner of this vehicle is the individual currently being held by police.
During a press conference, Clémence Meyer, magistrate heading the Auch public prosecutor's office, revealed the suspect's statements: "This individual claimed to have dropped off the child at her request by car near the Fleurance swimming pool. Nevertheless, these statements appeared relatively incoherent and imprecise."
The suspect claims to have transported the girl over a short route between the school and the swimming pool, which borders a large body of water. Family members and local residents are present at the scene, awaiting news.
The military could organise a search on Sunday 31 May in the afternoon. The investigation, initially classified as a worrying disappearance, has been reclassified as abduction and unlawful confinement of a minor under 15 years of age.
_Source: franceinfo_
Source: France Info