Naked boy, 9, found locked inside dads van for years after neighbor reported chilling sounds

A naked 9-year-old French boy was rescued after his twisted dad allegedly locked him in a van for nearly two years – with the horror uncovered when a neighbor reported chilling sounds coming from the vehicle.French cops on Monday found the child curled in a “fetal position” under a blanket on a pile of trash near human waste after a neighbor reported “sounds of a child” coming from the van parked near their home in Hagenbach, close to the Swiss and German borders, according to local prosecutor Nicolas Heitz.Heitz said the unidentified boy, now hospitalized, was severely malnourished and unable to walk after being kept seated since November 2024, when his father allegedly locked him away.Authorities arrested the deranged father, who bizarrely claimed he imprisoned the child inside his utility van to “protect him,” claiming his partner wanted to send the then-7-year-old to a psychiatric hospital.The boy – who was a good student with no history of psychiatric issues – told investigators he had “big difficulties” with his father’s partner and believed his dad “had no choice” but to lock him away, the Mulhouse Public prosecutor said. The child also said he hadn’t taken a shower since 2024.The father, who was not identified, has been hit with preliminary kidnapping charges and other offenses and remains in police custody.The man’s partner claimed she had no knowledge the boy was trapped in the van, but was cuffed and slapped with preliminary charges, including failing to help a minor in danger, Heitz said. She was later released under judicial supervision, with her 10-year-old daughter taken into the care of social services. The victim’s 12-year-old sister was also scooped up by social services. Authorities are also probing whether others were aware of the horrific situation.Prosecutors said friends and family were led to believe the boy was in a psychiatric institution, while his teachers were told he had transferred to another schoo...