Boy, nine, who was 'locked in a cupboard for 15 days by his stepfather' is rescued by French police

By OLIVIA ALLHUSEN, FOREIGN NEWS REPORTER Published: 13:24, 28 May 2026 | Updated: 13:33, 28 May 2026 A nine-year-old boy has been rescued by French police after his stepfather allegedly locked him in a cupboard for 15 days. The child was found on Friday living on the bare floor of a closet barely more than a metre wide at the family home in Mérindol, Vaucluse. He had been using a basin as a toilet, according to local reports. The boy was rescued after an anonymous person raised concerns about his welfare and alerted the authorities. Neighbours told reporters he was 'always being punished' and was often absent from family outings with his mother, stepfather and three brothers. When police arrived at the property in Mérindol, a village of around 2,000 people, the stepfather allowed officers inside and confirmed the child was in the home.  Avignon public prosecutor Stéphanie Aouine told Le Parisien the child had been living in the space for 15 days, since May 1.  Although the boy was attending school, he was reportedly not allowed to go outside or shower.  Ms Aouine said: 'His routine and living conditions (meals, outings, school) are still being assessed.'  A nine-year-old boy has been rescued by French police after his stepfather allegedly locked him in a cupboard for 15 days (stock image) The stepfather was arrested, charged and placed in pre-trial detention.  A judicial inquiry was opened by the Avignon public prosecutor's office on May 24 for 'deprivation of care or food endangering the health of a minor under 15 by an ascendant or person in authority' and 'violence resulting in incapacity not exceeding eight days against a minor by an ascendant or person in authority over the victim in the presence of another minor.'  The fate of the boy's mother remains unclear, as prosecutors have not released any information about her.  The investigation has been handed to gendarmes from the Pertuis company. According to the prosecutor, the child has been 'placed in the care of a trustworthy third party', while a more thorough assessment of his physical and psychological condition is carried out.  An urgent social assessment is also underway to determine what protective measures are needed for the boy and his siblings.  Local reports said the child, who was described as weak and severely emaciated, was taken to hospital. The comments below have not been moderated. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.