the little boy will be buried on February 8

The famous Sainte-Marie-Madeleine basilica in Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume (Var) will host the funeral of Émile Soleil, who died on July 8, 2023 in Le Vernet (Alpes-de-Haute-Provence), at the age 2 years old. The religious service, which will be public, will take place on Saturday February 8, 2025, not far from the village of La Bouilladisse (Bouches-du-Rhône), where Émile’s family resides. It will be celebrated by a priest, family friend and main support during this ordeal.

The burial will take place in the strictest family privacy, in the cemetery of the hamlet of Haut-Vernet, where some of the child’s relatives live. His parents, Colomban and Marie, have already contacted the municipal authorities to organize the ceremony.

As for the investigation, three main hypotheses are currently being explored by investigators. An accident remains a possibility, Émile may have left the hamlet alone and got lost in the mountain. The hypothesis of an animal attack, in particular by a raptor or a wolf, is also considered, in light of the discovery of the skull by a hiker on March 30. Finally, a criminal lead is not excluded, in particular because of the surprisingly intact state of the clothes found, which raises questions about possible human intervention.

Twenty soldiers are working “hard on this file”, according to General Hubert Bonneau, director general of the National Gendarmerie. “Our job is also to discover the truth so that the families can mourn. It’s a duty that we have towards the families. That’s the most important thing,” explained the high-ranking official. ranked with our colleagues at RTL.