Eight months after the disappearance of little Émile in Haut-Vernet, investigators continue to work to find the trace of the child.The criminal record of the little boy’s grandfather was notably examined by investigators.This man was accused of rape and sexual assault of a minor under the age of 15 for acts dating from 1993.
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Disappearance of little Émile, 2 and a half years old, in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence
The past of little Émile’s grandfather resurfaces. Eight months after the disappearance of the boy in the village of Haut-Vernet (Alpes-de-Haute-Provence), investigators looked into numerous leads to try to find his trace. Investigations which inevitably led them to take an interest in the profile of the relatives present in the house where Émile was cared for by his grandmother and grandfather. The latter, Philippe V., the toddler’s grandfather, had already been cited in the context of another case, dating from 1993.
Then aged around twenty, he was tasked with teaching English and chemistry. He must also ensure study after instruction within the “Riaumont Children’s Village”, located in Liévin (Pas-de-Calais). This establishment welcomes young boys from all over France, from traditionalist Catholic families, under the boarding school system. At the time, the children called him “Brother Philippe”. According to him, he will leave the establishment at the end of 1993, “tired of the general administration of the institution“.
Accused of rape of minors and violence for acts dating from 1993
Philippe will not be talked about until March 2017. According to information from the police-justice department of TF1-LCI, a few months earlier, a complainant, Jean L., went to report to the police facts dating back to 1993 at “Riaumont Children’s Village”. The latter describes violence, abuse and numerous rapes. He accuses “Brother Philippe” as well as another man of having sexually assaulted him. An investigation is then opened for acts of “rape and sexual assault of a minor by a person in authority”.
On March 27, 2017, investigators carried out a search within the “Riaumont Children’s Village”. One piece then particularly interests them. This is a room described as being used for “punish and receive punishment“, slips a well-informed source to TF1-LCI. A place where the complainant, Jean L., denounces having suffered rape. During this search, the police seized various documents, as well as registers to obtain the identities of the residents and teachers in the 1990s. The investigation continued for a year.
From indicted to assisted witness
A year later, in the spring of 2018, Philippe V. was placed in police custody as part of a new letter rogatory. He is then questioned by judicial police investigators and admits to having committed violence, such as “slaps, kicks on the behind and sometimes punches, but never in the face“. It accurately describes the “educational methods provided within the institution“But, confronted with the complainant’s accusations, he completely denied the accusations of sexual violence. On the other hand, the same day, the other man accused of rape ended up admitting the facts.
On April 24, 2018, Philippe V. was indicted for “rape and sexual assault of a 15-year-old minor by a person in authority”. But this indictment will eventually evolve into placement under the status of assisted witness. 25 years after the events described, no element has been able to prove the suspect’s guilt: no possession of child pornography, nothing conclusive during the hearing of his children and no report during the rest of his professional and personal career.
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Important clarification: this section containing all the information on the criminal past of Émile’s grandfather has been a file available to the police since the start of the investigation into the child’s disappearance. At this stage, no link has been established between these facts of 1993 (judicialized in 2017-2018) and the disappearance of the little boy in Haut-Vernet, 30 years later. Philippe V.’s lawyer also reacted to the media coverage of this new information. “I consider today that there is a violation of the presumption of innocence, with dramatic consequences for the family.declared Mᵉ Isabelle Colombani. These people [les grands-parents, qu’elle représente] are now at the bottom of the abyss.“