The grandparents of a small French boy who were found dead in the Alps were released today without a charge after they have been arrested in connection with his alleged murder.
The guardianship period for Philippe and Anne Vedovini, both 59, ended early on Thursday morning, after 72 hours of questions about Émile Soleil, who was two when he died.
He stayed in the isolated Vedovinis holiday home in the Alpine Hamlet of Haut-Veret, south of Grenoble, when he disappeared in July 2023.
The remains of Émile, including a broken skull, were found in the area nine months later after daily searches.
On Tuesday, the Vedovinis were arrested at Dawn raids together with two of their adult children, identified as Émile's aunt and uncle.
All confronted with accusations of 'intentional murder' and 'hide a corpse', said a statement released by Aix-en-Provence officers of justice.
But at 5 o'clock on Thursday, the four were released from the secure Gendarmerie in Marseille where they were held.
Isabelle Colombani, Mr Vedovini's lawyer, said outside the Gendarmerie: 'After 17 hours of interrogation, custody was lifted today.
'It is a relief for them, and also for their lawyers. I have never been worried. I thought we could explain everything. There were perhaps some gray areas to clean up, but that's it. '
Emile Soleil was missing in 2023 in a sleepy Alpine Village in France
Grandfather Philippe Vedovini at the funeral of Little Emile in Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume on February 8, 2025
Anne Vedovini, 59, was arrested with her husband on Tuesday. Emile Soleil had stayed with his grandparents at the time of his disappearance
Julien Pinelli, Mrs. Vedovini's defense lawyer, said: 'The custody of my client has been lifted, which of course is a huge relief. She walks away freely. '
He said that the grandmother of Émile wanted to participate in what could of course be seen as a test, but she did this because she thought it was also her contribution to this study, the results of which are now waiting. “
There was no immediate statement from Aix-en-Provence Officers of Justice or Judicial Police, who are in charge of the investigation.
They were initially able to hold the four family members for a maximum of 72 hours, but can extend the storage period at any time in the future, as the research continues.
Research sources have confirmed that the Vedovinis, who took care of Émile when he was missing, were arrested after months of political cranes.
Conversations between them and other family members were all listened to secretly, while questions were performed around their lives.
At the time of the disappearance of Émile, Mr. Vedovini admitted 'fifteen minutes of inattention'.
The search for the child finally ended when the bones of Emile were found in March 2024 by a disaster.
Father Gilliot (depicted, undated) is supposed to have taken his own life last Saturday
A witness saw Mr. Vedovini, an physiotherapist-osteopath, who cuts wood outside his house around the time Émile would have run away from the building in Haut-Veret.
Mr Vedovini is also being investigated in connection with a completely different matter with regard to sexual abuse at a Roman Catholic school in the 1990s.
Mr Vedovini trained to be a monk when he worked at Riaumont, a Catholic community with a boarding school for restless young people in North France.
Mr Vedovini, who was known as brother Philippe at the time, denies every misconduct.
He gave up his calling to become a monk to marry his wife, Anne Vedovini.
Both remain pious Roman Catholics that have raised 10 children, including the mother of Émile, who is now known under her married name Marie Soleil.
Her husband is Colomban Soleil, 27, who is the father of Émile.
Emile's parents were not arrested with regard to the current murder investigation.
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