A fisherman on the river heard a child screaming. Mysterious death of a 12-year-old in France
The 12-year-old was found on the Villain River, near the center of Rennes. The police were alerted by a fisherman who heard the child's screams late on Sunday afternoon. When the services arrived at the scene, they tried to resuscitate the boy, but it was too late. According to the Rennes prosecutor's office, the 12-year-old had a wet towel around his neck, “tied very tightly around his neck.” The body was found in nearby bushes.
An investigation is underway. Murder is one of the hypotheses
According to BFM television, the witness had previously seen the boy at the river with two other children his age. These statements will be verified and corroborated by investigators who will try to locate these two friends and other potential witnesses.
“The circumstances of death have not yet been determined,” but – as the prosecutor's office says in a statement – “the intervention of a third party is one of the hypotheses.”
According to AFP, witnesses saw numerous police officers conducting surveillance near a housing complex located close to the river on Sunday evening. A large white tent was set up where forensic technicians in white suits and gloves carried out examinations and took photos of places along the water's edge.
The investigation was entrusted to the Organized and Specialized Crime Department in Rennes. The boy's cause of death will be known after the autopsy.
