Found Deceased France - Émile S., 2, outside grandparent’s house, Le Vernet, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, 8 July 2023 *arrest* #2

[Sarahlou]

I'm glad they have made arrests. About time. This story never seemed right.

 

[Lonicera]

Follow with us the latest information on the investigation concerning the death of Emile Soleil, disappeared in Haut-Vernet, and for which four people, including two of the grandparents were placed in police custody on Tuesday 25 March 2025.
EN DIRECT Mort d’Emile : Un van à chevaux saisi à La Bouilladisse, près de …Priest who baptized Emile committed suicide
According to Paris Match, Father Claude Gilliot died on 15 March. The priest, who had baptized little Emile, was close to the parents and grandparents of the boy. The latter, says the magazine, resented him for having given a photo of the child to press. “I am very angry with the family of little Emile, because I think it all started at home,” his sister Claudine told the weekly.
DIRECT. The grandparents of little Emile in custody for voluntary homicide
This morning, March 25, four people were arrested as part of the investigation into the death of little Émile. Among them were Emile’s maternal grandparents and two of their children.
Four people, including the grandparents of little Emile, were taken into custody
The prosecutor announced that four people have been detained in connection with the case of little Emile. These are the child’s maternal grandparents, Philippe and Anne Vedovini, as well as two of their adult children, the uncles or aunts of the child.
The Vedovini, arrested early in the morning at their home in La Bouilladisse (Bouches-du-Rhône), were placed in police custody for voluntary homicide and body concealment.
These are the first police custody since the beginning of this case, which began on July 8, 2023 with the disappearance of Émile Soleil, two and a half years old, in the hamlet of Haut-Vernet (Alpes-de-Haute-Provence).DIRECT. Les grands-parents du petit Émile placés en garde à vue pour homicide volontaire

 

[Vaderman]

“Four people have been arrested in the case surrounding the disappearance of French toddler Émile for “intentional manslaughter” and “handling a corpse”, the Aix-en-Provence public prosecutor’s office said in a statement. Émile’s grandparents have also been arrested.”

“The other two people arrested are "two of the adult children" of the grandparents, the prosecutor's office said. It is not clear whether it is also Émile's father or mother.”
Vier mensen gearresteerd in onderzoek naar dood van Franse kleuter Émile: ook grootouders opgepakt

Wow! I thought for sure this was just a sad case of a child wandering off and succumbing to the elements. I mentally scoffed at the speculation there was something more.

 

[detective.moon]

some information i hadn’t read before, but i might have missed it..

The case seemed stalled for a long time, although the grandfather did come into the police's sights earlier. His name was mentioned in a case from the early 1990s. At the time, he worked at a Catholic boarding school, where children were allegedly victims of violence and sexual assault. But he was never officially charged

translated to english from this article:

Grootouders Franse peuter Émile opgepakt, jongetje verdween in 2023

De jongen van 2 verdween in de zomer van 2023 spoorloos, kort nadat hij bij het vakantiehuis van zijn opa en oma was aangekomen.

nos.nl

 

[TootsieFootsie]

EN DIRECT Mort d’Emile : Un van à chevaux saisi à La Bouilladisse, près de …

Suivez avec nous les dernières informations sur l’enquête concernant la mort d’Emile Soleil, disparu au Haut-Vernet, et pour laquelle quatre personnes, dont deux des grands-parents ont été placées en garde à vue ce mardi 25 mars 2025

www-20minutes-fr.translate.goog

Grandfather's car also seized

The main developments this morning appear to be taking place around the family home in La Bouilladisse, near Marseille, where, according to several colleagues on the scene, Émile's grandfather's car was also seized by investigators, along with a horsebox.

 

[Maat99]

Just reviewing some of the older news articles and timelines - the family were brought back to the village for a re-enactment almost a year after his disappearance and two days later his body was randomly found not far from the village.

 

[iamshadow21]

Recent developments reveal the seizure of a sizeable planter situated near the hamlet's chapel. This planter, described as "a large wooden container" functioned to prevent vehicles from accessing the cemetery adjacent to the religious structure. According to local sources, officers emptied the planter of its soil, which contained a rose bush, and transported it for analysis at the Criminal Research Institute of the National Gendarmerie (IRCGN) in Pontoise. The true motivation for this action remains unclear, but experts hope it will yield new insights.

Investigators Renew Focus On Émile's Disappearance

The investigation surrounding the disappearance and death of two-year-old Émile continues to evolve as authorities intensify their efforts to bring clarity to the…

evrimagaci.org

I'm wondering if they could tell the skull had been buried prior to it being found by the hiker.

MOO

 

[Sarahlou]

some information i hadn’t read before, but i might have missed it..

The case seemed stalled for a long time, although the grandfather did come into the police's sights earlier. His name was mentioned in a case from the early 1990s. At the time, he worked at a Catholic boarding school, where children were allegedly victims of violence and sexual assault. But he was never officially charged

translated to english from this article:

Grootouders Franse peuter Émile opgepakt, jongetje verdween in 2023

De jongen van 2 verdween in de zomer van 2023 spoorloos, kort nadat hij bij het vakantiehuis van zijn opa en oma was aangekomen.

nos.nl

Yikes. That's made my mind go to places I didn't want it to go with this case.

 

[TootsieFootsie]

Just reviewing some of the older news articles and timelines - the family were brought back to the village for a re-enactment almost a year after his disappearance and two days later his body was randomly found not far from the village.

It did seem too much of a coincidence at the time.

 

[Cinister09]

Well well well.

I wonder if one of the adult children arrested is the uncle who said odd things in an interview about him and got aggressive. I can't find the exact article with his wording, but it wasn't the nicest thing to say about a missing child.

 

[Lonicera]

« Il pouvait arriver qu’il mette une gifle aux enfants qui se comportaient mal à la messe » : un an avant son suicide, le père Gilliot s’était confié sur Philippe Vedovini
«It could happen that he slapped the children who behaved badly at mass»: a year before his suicide, Father Gilliot had confided on Philippe Vedovini
Father Claude Gilliot, who had baptized the little Emile, died in his home of Aix en Provence, by absorption of medicines on March 15. He had entrusted us with his questioning on the case.
He confided in Detective a year ago. On 15 March, Father Claude Gilliot committed suicide at his home in Aix-en-Provence (Bouches-du-Rhône) by taking medication. This Dominican priest had long officiated in the traditionalist chapel of the grey penitents in Aix en Provence. His life had changed, after this man of the church gave to the press a photo of Emile and his parents. Emile’s grandfather had succeeded, by putting pressure on the rector of the chapel, to have him expelled from his church. Which the priest had never accepted.

Insults by Philippe Védovini

Detective had a long talk with Father Gilliot. He told us, “You know because of that, Vedovini called me on the phone, insulted me. He called me names. He said to me: “if we limit ourselves to the mass with you, that’s fine. But as soon as you are outside the mass it’s something else...” He accused me of not believing in the virginity of the Virgin Mary, nor in the real presence. (the belief that Jesus Christ is personally present at the Eucharist and not as a symbol, ed.)». We asked him if he was suffering from this situation, and he said, “Suffering is not that. Those who are suffering are people living in Israel, Palestine or the Ukraine. You know I’m 84 years old, I’m not going to collapse like that. Sometimes I say: I will bury them all».
Claude Gilliot had painted the portrait of the Vedovini couple. About Anne, Emile’s grandmother, he had explained: “She is very intelligent, she could be the general manager of a big business. She taught the children at home, so that they would not be affected by the cretinization of our society. To put it simply, this is a woman with balls,
and who knows how to adapt to his interlocutors, always with a smile.”

“It may be assumed that there was an accident”

Regarding Émile’s grandfather, Claude Gilliot knew that he was sometimes rude to children. I know that there was a story in Riaumont (the boarding school in which Philippe Vedovini had been a supervisor and some young people had accused him of having committed violence, ndlr), But I don’t know if that is what made him give up his vows to become a priest,” he said, before reeling in: “Well, even if I knew, I won’t say it, I’m a priest and sometimes I confess.”
The priest added: “He could slap children who behaved badly at mass, but I have never seen him do it on small children”. Regarding the disappearance of Émile, he added: “One can think that there was an accident. It is something possible too.” We had asked him, in the event that Émile’s maternal family could have kept secret of facts which would explain the death of the boy. Claudie Gilliot said, “It’s not impossible. It’s difficult, but it’s not impossible.”

 

[TootsieFootsie]

It seems there's been a lot going on in that quiet little village

Now two people are dead

 

[UK Girl]

« Il pouvait arriver qu’il mette une gifle aux enfants qui se comportaient mal à la messe » : un an avant son suicide, le père Gilliot s’était confié sur Philippe Vedovini
«It could happen that he slapped the children who behaved badly at mass»: a year before his suicide, Father Gilliot had confided on Philippe Vedovini
Father Claude Gilliot, who had baptized the little Emile, died in his home of Aix en Provence, by absorption of medicines on March 15. He had entrusted us with his questioning on the case.
He confided in Detective a year ago. On 15 March, Father Claude Gilliot committed suicide at his home in Aix-en-Provence (Bouches-du-Rhône) by taking medication. This Dominican priest had long officiated in the traditionalist chapel of the grey penitents in Aix en Provence. His life had changed, after this man of the church gave to the press a photo of Emile and his parents. Emile’s grandfather had succeeded, by putting pressure on the rector of the chapel, to have him expelled from his church. Which the priest had never accepted.

Insults by Philippe Védovini

Detective had a long talk with Father Gilliot. He told us, “You know because of that, Vedovini called me on the phone, insulted me. He called me names. He said to me: “if we limit ourselves to the mass with you, that’s fine. But as soon as you are outside the mass it’s something else...” He accused me of not believing in the virginity of the Virgin Mary, nor in the real presence. (the belief that Jesus Christ is personally present at the Eucharist and not as a symbol, ed.)». We asked him if he was suffering from this situation, and he said, “Suffering is not that. Those who are suffering are people living in Israel, Palestine or the Ukraine. You know I’m 84 years old, I’m not going to collapse like that. Sometimes I say: I will bury them all».
Claude Gilliot had painted the portrait of the Vedovini couple. About Anne, Emile’s grandmother, he had explained: “She is very intelligent, she could be the general manager of a big business. She taught the children at home, so that they would not be affected by the cretinization of our society. To put it simply, this is a woman with balls,
and who knows how to adapt to his interlocutors, always with a smile.”

“It may be assumed that there was an accident”

Regarding Émile’s grandfather, Claude Gilliot knew that he was sometimes rude to children. I know that there was a story in Riaumont (the boarding school in which Philippe Vedovini had been a supervisor and some young people had accused him of having committed violence, ndlr), But I don’t know if that is what made him give up his vows to become a priest,” he said, before reeling in: “Well, even if I knew, I won’t say it, I’m a priest and sometimes I confess.”
The priest added: “He could slap children who behaved badly at mass, but I have never seen him do it on small children”. Regarding the disappearance of Émile, he added: “One can think that there was an accident. It is something possible too.” We had asked him, in the event that Émile’s maternal family could have kept secret of facts which would explain the death of the boy. Claudie Gilliot said, “It’s not impossible. It’s difficult, but it’s not impossible.”

where is this from please?

 

[Megnut]

It seems there's been a lot going on that quiet little village

Now two people are dead

One child and one person uniquely positioned to know people's secrets.

There is a lot to unpack here. I hope LE unpacks every ugly bit of it.

JMO

 

[Lonicera]

where is this from please?

« Il pouvait arriver qu’il mette une gifle aux enfants qui se comportaient mal à la messe » : un an avant son suicide, le père Gilliot s’était confié sur Philippe Vedovini
Le Nouveau Détective. The new detective ( "Détective" journal fondé en 1928)
A magazine that is often despised, but it contains a lot of information. I read it quite often.

 

[Skigh]

Grandfather held over little Emile's death quizzed over 'sex assault'

The grandfather of a little French boy found dead in the Alps was previously questions over alleged sexual assault and violence at a private Catholic school he worked at.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[Carovb5]

the other 2 adults arrested are the aunt & uncle.

Grootouders, tante en nonkel van Émile opgepakt wegens doodslag: auto van grootvader in beslag genomen

 

[saztina]

Seem like a very weird family altogether! Was just looking at pictures from poor Émile’s funeral and the dad was smiling in all of them.

 

[detective.moon]

the other 2 adults arrested are the aunt & uncle.

Grootouders, tante en nonkel van Émile opgepakt wegens doodslag: auto van grootvader in beslag genomen

interesting article! i translated some parts to english

Police picked up the parents of Émile's mother Marie, Anne and Philippe (58) Vedovini, around 6 a.m. this morning. Jean-Luc Blanchon, the prosecutor of Aix-en-Provence, earlier reported that the two other suspects are “adult children of the grandparents.” News channel “BFMTV,” meanwhile, reports that they are Émile's aunt and uncle.

The Vedovinis have a total of nine children. Marie is the oldest; the others are said to be between 10 and 20 years old.

apparently Émile’s aunts and uncles are all between 10 and 20 years old. so it seems like the aunt and uncle who got arrested must be between 18-20 years old

Anne and Philippe Vedovini previously came under scrutiny. Several weeks after the toddler's disappearance, French media reported that an old home of the couple in the hamlet of Boulard, about 12 kilometers from Haut-Vernet, had been set on fire several years earlier. Possibly this was an act of hatred because of their far-right sympathies. Indeed, residents of Haut-Vernet described Émile's family as “discreet, Catholic and far-right.”

In addition, some sources claim that on the day of his disappearance, Émile went to play in a treehouse located on a steep path to a mountain pass. The cabin reportedly allowed Émile to unwind, “away from his strict grandfather.” In fact, the latter demanded that all children help with certain chores. “Refusal was not an option,” wrote the newspaper "Le Nouveau Détective.

In September 2023, Philippe Vedovini, a physical therapist and osteopath, defended himself against the allegations. “I come across as a dominant guy who terrorizes everyone, but that is absolutely not true,” he responded. Émile's parents Marie and Colomban also spoke of “disinformation.” “Some vicious media sources have taken the liberty of saying just about anything about us,” they echoed.

i can’t imagine how Émile’s mom must feel now that her parents and siblings have been arrested

 

[TootsieFootsie]

If there is anything to the charges, I wonder how many people knew or had suspicions.