The funeral of little Émile, who disappeared in July 2023 and whose bones were found in March 2024, will take place on February 8, 2025 in the Var.
The funeral of little Émile will take place on Saturday February 8, 2025, in the Sainte-Marie-Madeleine basilica in Saint-Maximin, in the Var, indicated BFM DICI. The little boy disappeared in the commune of Haut-Vernet, in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, on July 8, 2023 after arriving at his grandparents’ house for the summer vacation. His bones were discovered around this same town on March 30, 2024, after nine months of research. According to information from BFM DICI, the ceremony will take place in two stages. A religious celebration will first be held in the Sainte-Marie-Madeleine basilica of Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume in the Var. It will be a public mass. Secondly, the burial of the child should take place in the strictest family privacy in the hamlet of Haut-Vernet.
Monsignor Dominique Rey, bishop of the Fréjus-Toulon diocese, indicated that the mass which will be held in Var will be “the possibility of experiencing this event in meditation”. A major place of pilgrimage for Christians, the Sainte-Marie-Madeleine basilica in Saint-Maximin is also large enough to accommodate the many people who would like to worship. The town hall indicated to France Bleu Provence that security measures will be taken in anticipation of the large crowd expected during the boy’s funeral.
Where is the investigation?
The investigation opened for “kidnapping” and “sequestration” is continuing, while the causes of little Émile’s death remain unknown. For the moment, neither the accidental nor the criminal trail has been ruled out by investigators. According to RTL information published on November 29, two traces of human and non-family DNA were found by experts after analyzes carried out on Émile’s bones and clothing. However, these are partial traces of DNA which were found in small quantities and very degraded. They could thus correspond to a large number of people and could come from contamination and not be usable. Hubert Bonneau, director general of the National Gendarmerie, guest on RTL at the end of November, explained that 20 soldiers were still working on Émile’s death. In addition to DNA, investigators are also analyzing the environment where Emile’s bones and clothing were found.
