A child's bones were found in the Alps, belonging to a French boy who vanished eight months ago.
Hikers found the remains of Émile Soleil, a two-year-old, near his family home where he went missing in July last year.
The grim discovery on Saturday is seen as a significant development in the investigation, which has puzzled investigators.
According to a statement from public prosecutors in Aix-en-Provence on Sunday, genetic tests have confirmed that the bones belong to Èmile.
It was also mentioned that forensic analysis is ongoing, and authorities are conducting additional searches in the area.
The search area is two miles from the house in Haut-Vernet, where Émile was last seen with his grandfather, Philippe Vedovini, 58.
There had been no sign of Émile since his disappearance, with investigators not ruling out any possibilities, including abduction and murder.
On the day Émile went missing, he was under the care of Mr Vedovini while his parents were away.
A witness saw Mr Vedovini, a physiotherapist-osteopath, cutting wood outside his house around the time Émile is thought to have wandered off.
Émile’s family, who were at Easter Sunday mass when informed, did not immediately comment on the discovery of the bones.
Mr Vedovini is a devout Catholic who chose marriage over a monastic vocation.
The couple raised 10 children, including Émile’s mother, who now goes by Marie Soleil after marrying Émile’s father, Colomban Soleil, 26.
After the little boy vanished, a search was conducted, but it did not yield any results.
Lead prosecutor Rémy Avon, who is heading the judicial inquiry into Émile’s disappearance, stated that various possibilities, including murder, kidnapping, and accidents, are all being considered.
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