A stepfather has been arrested after allegedly locking a nine-year-old boy in a small cupboard for 15 days. The child was found locked in a storage cupboard that was just over a square meter in size in his family home which he shares with his mum, stepfather and three brother in Mérindol, a village in southern Luberon in France.
The little boy had reportedly been forced to use a basin as a toilet and without a mattress. Authorities were alerted by a concerned anonymous source and the boy was rescued by police on Friday, May 22. Neighbours reported he was often left out of outings with his family and he “was always being punished”.
It is believed that while the boy attended school, he was not allowed to go outside or shower, according to Le Dauphiné Libéré.
The police were let into small family home located in Mérindol, a village of just 2,000 people, by the boys stepfather who confirmed his presence.
“He could stand up despite the presence of the shelves. But above all, the child “had been placed there for 15 days. His routine and living conditions (meals, outings, school) are still being assessed,” added Ms Aouine.
The stepfather has been arrested, charged, and remanded into custody. A judicial inquiry was opened on Sunday, May 24, for “deprivation of care or food endangering the health of a minor under 15 by an ascendant or person in authority” and “violence resulting in incapacity not exceeding eight days against a minor by an ascendant or a person in authority over the victim in the presence of another minor.”
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