Two teenagers have been interrogated by authorities following the discovery of an 11-year-old boy’s lifeless body with a damp towel around his neck near a river bank in Rennes, France. The incident was reported when a fisherman heard a child’s cries by the Vilaine River around 4:40 pm on Sunday and promptly alerted emergency services. Despite the efforts of firefighters who arrived at 4:50 pm, the boy was tragically declared deceased at the scene.
In response to the distressing finding, French police initiated a murder investigation and subsequently made two arrests. A 16-year-old boy was apprehended at his residence on Monday, while a 15-year-old girl surrendered to a police station in Rennes, as confirmed by Rennes prosecutor Frederic Teillet. Both individuals were identified as being present with the victim at the time of the incident and are currently in police custody, facing charges of “murder of a minor.”
Teillet clarified that the victim was 11 years old, correcting an earlier announcement that stated he was 12. Reports from local media indicated that the boy’s mother was searching for him when the tragic events unfolded near the riverside. The boy had informed his mother that he was going fishing in the area with a friend. The incident occurred in a wooded area beneath a bridge over the Vilaine River, near several apartment buildings.
The connection between the three children remains unclear. The investigation is now under the jurisdiction of the organized and specialized crime division.