Detectives reveal horrific details surrounding murder of French toddler who vanished in remote Alpine village
27 March 2025, 14:35 | Updated: 27 March 2025, 14:39
Detectives have revealed horrific details surrounding the death of French toddler Émile Soleil who vanished in the French Alps.
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Émile Soleil was staying at his grandparent's isolated holiday home in the small hamlet of Haut-Vernet, south of Grenoble, when he disappeared in July 2023.
The last sighting of Emile was when two neighbours saw him walking alone on the only street in the village.
No trace of him was found until a hiker in the mountainous area came across the skull and teeth of a child not far from their home at the end of March last year.
Today, a prosecutor revealed how the two-year-old suffered a "violent facial trauma" at the time of his suspected murder.
Jean-Luc Bachon, the Aix-en-Provence prosecutor, made the horrific claim as he outlined details of how he probably died.
Mr Bachon also believes Émile was probably attacked by a "third party".
It came as the custody period for Philippe and Anne Vedovini, both 59, came to an end early on Thursday morning, following 72 hours of questioning.
They were arrested in dawn raids on Tuesday morning along with two of their adult children, identified as Émile’s aunt and uncle.
All faced charges of "intentional homicide" and "concealing a corpse", accoridng to authorities.
But, the four were released from the gendarmerie in Marseille where they were being held at 5am on Thursday.
Investigators also believe that Émile's bones would have been moved shortly before they were found near a river.
After months of detailed forensic work, they have now concluded that Émile's body did not decompose in the clothes they found a month later.
Read more: Catholic priest who fell out with French toddler Emile Soleil's murder suspects 'commits suicide'
'Fifteen minutes of inattention'
Hundreds of people joined police to look for Émile the day after he went missing, involving a search with sniffer dogs and the military - after his grandmother raised the alarm.
Enquiry sources confirmed the Vedovinis, who were looking after Émile when he went missing, were arrested following months of police wire taps.
Conversations between them and other family members were all secretly listened to, while enquiries were conducted around their lives.
At the time of Émile’s disappearance, Mr Vedovini admitted "fifteen minutes of inattention".
The search finally ended when his bones were found by a rambler.
A home belonging to the grandparents in Bouches-du-Rhone - separate to the place Emile had stayed - was reportedly searched on Tuesday as part of the investigation,.
At least one car and a trailer used to move horses was taken away by police, it was also reported.
Isabelle Colombani, Mr Vedovini’s lawyer, said outside the gendarmerie: "After 17 hours of questioning, today, the custody has been lifted.
"It's a relief for them, and for their lawyers too. I have never been too worried.
"I thought we could explain everything. There were maybe some grey areas to clear up, but that's it."
Julien Pinelli, Ms Vedovini’s defence barrister, said: "My client's custody has been lifted, which is naturally a huge relief. She is walking away free."
He said Émile’s grandmother "wanted to participate in what could naturally be seen as an ordeal, but she did so because she felt it was also her contribution to this investigation, the results of which she is now awaiting."
There was no immediate statement from Aix-en-Provence prosecutors, or judicial police, who are in charge of the investigation.
They could initially hold the four family members for a maximum of 72 hours, but can renew the custody period at any time in the future, as the investigation continues.
A witness saw Mr Vedovini, a physiotherapist-osteopath, cutting wood outside his house around the time Émile is thought to have wandered off from the property in Haut-Vernet.
Mr Vedovini is also under investigation in connection with an entirely different case relating to sex abuse at a Roman Catholic School in the 1990s.
Mr Vedovini was training to be a monk when he worked at Riaumont, a Catholic community that includes a boarding school for troubled youngsters in Northern France.
Mr Vedovini, who was known as Brother Philippe at the time, denies any wrongdoing.
Mr Vedovini gave up his vocation to become a monk, in order to marry his wife, Anne Vedovini.
Both remain devout Roman Catholics who brought up 10 children, including Émile’s mother, who is now known by her married name of Marie Soleil.
Her husband is Colomban Soleil, 27, who is Émile’s father. Emile’s parents have not been arrested in relation to the current murder enquiry.
Hundreds of mourner attended his funeral held in Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume, southern France, back in February.
Soon after, his maternal grandparents said "silence had made space for truth" and that they could no longer "live without answers".
Yesterday, it was reported a Roman Catholic priest who baptised Émile has allegedly committed suicide.
Father Claude Gilliot, 85, was once extremely close to Émile’s grandparents, Philippe and Anne Vedovini.
Father Gilliot frequently expressed his emotional angst during the saga, and on Wednesday it emerged that he allegedly ‘took his own life’ last Saturday week at his home in Aix-en-Provence.
This is exceptionally unusual for Roman Catholic clergy, who view suicide as a mortal sin, on a par with murder.
