Grandparents of Émile Soleil Arrested in French Alps Murder Investigation
In a significant development in the ongoing investigation into the disappearance of young Émile Soleil, the child’s grandparents have been taken into custody. The grandfather of the French boy, whose skeletal remains were discovered in the Alps, was previously questioned regarding allegations of sexual assault and violence at a private Catholic school where he was employed.
Arrests Made in Connection to Missing Boy Émile Soleil Case
Philippe and Anne Vedovini, both 59, the grandparents of Émile Soleil, were apprehended on Tuesday along with two of their adult children. These arrests are linked to the suspected killing of two-year-old Émile Soleil, who vanished in July 2023.
Émile was last seen at the Vedovinis’ secluded vacation home in the Alpine hamlet of Haut-Vernet, situated south of Grenoble. He disappeared from the property, triggering an extensive search that lasted for months.
Nine months after his disappearance, his remains, including a fractured cranium, were located in the vicinity, bringing an end to the exhaustive daily searches.
Family Detained in ‘Intentional Homicide’ Probe
Police conducted a pre-dawn raid on the family’s primary residence near Marseille, leading to their detention. Simultaneously, police actions in the vicinity resulted in the apprehension of two additional individuals whose identities have not yet been disclosed.
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All those detained are under suspicion for ‘intentional homicide’ and ‘concealment of a body,’ according to a statement issued by prosecutors in Aix-en-Provence. French media outlet Le Parisien also revealed that the family’s phone lines had been monitored for several months preceding the arrests.
Prior Sex Abuse Allegations Surface Against Grandfather
Last year, French news sources, including Le Parisien and the investigative journal Le Canard enchaîné, published concerning information regarding Mr. Vedovini.
Le Parisien highlighted that ‘it is above all his past that raises concerns,’ detailing a historical sex abuse scandal at a Roman Catholic school dating back to the 1990s.
Past at Catholic School Under Scrutiny
Reports confirmed that Mr. Vedovini, who has consistently denied any wrongdoing, had come to the attention of law enforcement and was considered a person of interest in their inquiries.
During his time training to become a monk, Mr. Vedovini worked at Riaumont, a Catholic community in northern France that included a boarding school for youth with behavioral issues.
Located in Liévin, Pas-de-Calais, the institution was managed by Benedictine monks who received formal complaints from former students between 2014 and 2017.
These former pupils alleged experiencing sexual abuse, encompassing instances of rape, and routine physical beatings during the early 1990s.
Mr. Vedovini, then known as Brother Philippe during his tenure at the school from 1991 to 1994, was named in the investigation as an ‘assisted witness’.
In an interview with police in April 2018, he acknowledged administering ‘somewhat severe’ physical discipline but maintained that he had never violated any laws, according to sources familiar with the inquiry.
Ultimately, eleven former staff members – seven religious personnel and four lay individuals – were indicted on various charges.
The public prosecutor in Béthune affirmed that the criminal investigation was ‘still ongoing’ and ‘expected to conclude soon’.
Mr. Vedovini later abandoned his aspirations to become a monk to marry Anne Vedovini.
Family’s Background Examined in Émile Soleil Investigation
Both Philippe and Anne Vedovini are described as devout Roman Catholics who raised ten children, including Émile’s mother, now known as Marie Soleil through marriage.
Police stated earlier today: ‘This morning, Philippe Vedovini and his wife, the paternal grandparents of Émile Soleil, along with two of their adult offspring, were taken into police custody’ by investigators from the Marseille gendarmerie’s investigative division.
‘These placements in police custody are part of a verification phase, comparing evidence and information gathered throughout the investigations conducted in recent months.’
The statement further indicated that ‘investigators are also conducting forensic operations at various locations across the country.’
Isabelle Colombani, the grandparents’ legal representative, confirmed the arrests to AFP, the French national news agency, but declined to provide any further comments.
The arrests occurred at 6:30 am in La Bouilladisse, situated just north of Marseille in the Bouches-du-Rhône department of France.
Émile was staying in Haut-Vernet when he disappeared, under the supervision of his grandfather, who subsequently admitted to ‘fifteen minutes of inattention.’
The extensive search for the young boy concluded in March 2024 when a hiker discovered Émile’s bones.
A witness reported seeing Mr. Vedovini, a physiotherapist-osteopath, chopping wood outside his residence around the time Émile is believed to have wandered away from the Haut-Vernet property.
Investigators have also explored the family’s political affiliations to extreme-right-wing groups.
Émile’s father, Colomban Soleil, 27, was previously arrested in 2018 for ‘an assault on foreigners’.
He appeared before judges in Aix-en-Provence and secured release from custody after pledging to maintain public order.
At that time, Mr. Soleil was reportedly an activist associated with Action Francaise, a far-Right nationalist and royalist organization, as well as the neofascist group Bastion Social.
Later, in 2021, Mr. Soleil and his wife campaigned as candidates in local elections in the Marseille region, supporting the Reconquest party led by Éric Zemmour, the controversial figure convicted of racism and known for Islamophobic remarks, who unsuccessfully ran for French president in 2023.
Their campaign slogans identified them as ‘friends of Éric Zemmour’ advocating to ‘clean out the system’.
Émile’s parents are believed to be separate individuals from the two adult children arrested alongside his grandparents today.