A 9-year-old boy has been rescued after allegedly being confined for months inside his father’s utility van in eastern France, authorities said. The child has been hospitalized, while his father has been taken into custody.

Police were alerted on Monday by a neighbor in the village of Hagenbach, near the Swiss and German borders, who reported hearing what sounded like a child inside a parked van, according to prosecutor Nicolas Heitz.

Officers forced entry into the vehicle and found the boy lying in a fetal position, naked and covered with a blanket, surrounded by trash and human waste. Authorities said the child appeared severely malnourished and was unable to walk after being confined in a seated position for an extended period.

Investigators said the father claimed he placed the boy in the van in November 2024 to “protect him,” alleging that his partner wanted to have the child admitted to a psychiatric facility. However, the prosecutor said there is no record indicating the boy had any psychiatric condition prior to his disappearance, noting he had been performing well in school.

The child told investigators he had difficulties with his father’s partner and believed his father felt he had no alternative. He also reported that he had not bathed since 2024.

The father faces preliminary charges including kidnapping and remains in custody. His partner denied any knowledge of the boy’s confinement but has been charged with failing to assist a minor in danger and released under judicial supervision.

Two other children—a 12-year-old sibling of the victim and a 10-year-old child of the father’s partner—have been placed under the care of social services.

Authorities are continuing to investigate whether others were aware of the boy’s situation. According to the prosecutor’s office, friends and family had been told the child was in a psychiatric institution, while his school was informed he had transferred elsewhere.