by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Europe Bureau Chief
PARIS (Worthy News) – France was left in shock Monday after police detained two teenagers following the discovery of the body of an 11-year-old boy near a river in the western city of Rennes.
Authorities said the child’s body was found Sunday along the banks of the Vilaine River in the Brittany region. Prosecutors opened a murder investigation after reportedly discovering the boy with a wet towel tightly wrapped around his neck.
Police said a 16-year-old boy was arrested at his home Monday morning, while a 15-year-old girl later voluntarily reported to a police station in Rennes.
Divers and forensic teams continued searching the wooded riverside area Monday for additional evidence.
MURDER INVESTIGATION UNDERWAY
French media reported that a fisherman alerted authorities Sunday afternoon after hearing what he believed was a crying child near the riverbank, though he was unable to locate the youngster.
Emergency responders later found the boy in cardiac arrest in a wooded area popular with fishermen, about 10 minutes from Rennes’ historic Parliament Square.
Attempts to revive the child failed, officials said.
Investigators have not publicly disclosed a motive, but French newspaper Ouest-France reported authorities “were examining the possible involvement of third parties” in the child’s death.
Child killings are relatively rare in France, especially cases involving teenage suspects and violence near a public place.
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