In his shop on the main street of Guingamp (Côtes-d'Armor), Yoan Raoul picks up “with relief” the disturbing disappearance notice of Morgane, 13 years old. Disappearing on Monday November 25 on the way to college, the teenager was found alive on Tuesday December 10 in Coutances (Manche).
A 21-year-old man was arrested for kidnapping and sequestration of a minor under the age of 15. “That's about all we know for now, but we breathe knowing Morgana is safe. Since his disappearance, the atmosphere has been very heavy in Guingamp. In a town of 7,000 inhabitants like ours, everyone was worried. We all know Morgane or someone close to her,” explained Yoan Raoul.
Like many in the sub-prefecture, the merchant speaks cautiously about this affair which has fueled its share of rumors, particularly because of the enigmatic responsibility of social networks. “The law requires me to make information public to avoid the spread of inaccurate information. But I want to respect the privacy of Morgane and her family”warned Nicolas Heitz, public prosecutor of Saint-Brieuc. During a press conference on Wednesday, he recounted the investigation which mobilized seventy gendarmes daily as well as significant aquatic, aerial and digital resources. A thousand people were heard and more than a hundred were interviewed.
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It all starts at 7:14 a.m., Monday, November 25. The teenager leaves her family home in Pabu, a town bordering Guingamp. Her mother holds her back for a moment and advises her to take a « collation ». The same evening, they are supposed to attend a meeting between parents and teachers. The teenager nods and leaves on a “kisses, see you tonight.” She walks towards her bus stop, but gets into a blue Citroën C1 vehicle. At the wheel, a 21-year-old man. This is one of the “virtual friends” of Morgane with whom she has shared her discomfort for three months on Snapchat.
According to the first hearings carried out by the investigators, the teenager asked him to “come and get her” after an altercation at school then a heated argument, over the weekend, with his parents. The latter accused him of excessive use of social networks and of having shared “images likely to harm one’s image” according to the prosecutor. In Morgane's cell phone, the police discovered conversations with several adults. One of them was arrested in Drôme in the first days of the investigation. He had created a Snapchat profile “for the benefit” of the teenager and held “several images of a child pornography nature not concerning Morgane”.
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