Stéphane Burgatt / Photo credits: Europe 1 6:13 a.m., April 2, 2024
On Saturday, after nine months of searching, the bones of little Emile, missing since last July, were found. In the village of La Bouilladisse near Aubagne, where he lived year-round with his parents, there was consternation. If Emile's family is very discreet, the residents do not hide their emotion.
If little Emile disappeared during a family reunion in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, he lived year-round in this small town of 6,000 inhabitants located near Aubagne. A few bouquets of flowers were placed in the church. On one of them is attached a heart-shaped card with the words “Emile rest in peace”.
A tribute will be paid if the family accepts it
The first tributes are present. Will a mass be celebrated in memory of the little boy? The parish priest refuses to answer them. Outside, on the town hall square, a group of women are chatting. Emile is in everyone’s thoughts. “It touches me,” comments one of them, who was at school with Emile’s grandfather. "You realize, he's a child from the village. It's heavy! We think of the little one. Seeing a little boy like that, it hurts."
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In the village, many flee the microphones. The affair causes a certain uneasiness, and anger as well. The residents, like this father, want to know what happened to the little boy: "We need to know everything now, it's been going on for too long. It has to stop! It touches me a lot. A kid like him, he has the right to live. It all revolts me!” A tribute could be paid to little Emile, according to the mayor of the town, who assures that he will do nothing without the approval of the family.