Two teenagers are being held for the murder by strangulation of a 12-year-old boy in a wooded area of Rennes, France, as announced by regional prosecutor Frédéric Teillet at a press conference. The crime on the banks of the Vilaine River, he reported, was committed to “take revenge” and “recover fishing equipment worth a few dozen euros.” Along with the 16-year-old who was initially arrested, a 15-year-old girl is also being held in custody. On the morning of Wednesday, May 27, they will appear in court and are likely to be charged with “murder of a minor.” The body was found around 5 PM on Sunday, May 24, and the autopsy confirmed that 12-year-old Théo was strangled. Authorities were alerted by a local couple who called police “after hearing a child’s screams,” the prosecutor said. Police discovered the child unconscious with “a bath towel around his neck.”
Read: France: Dead 12-year-old child found in bushes near river – 16-year-old arrested
France: What the evidence reveals
Initially, the 12-year-old reportedly arrived at the location with the two teenagers to go fishing. “The two youths were subsequently seen running away,” Teillet continued, while the victim’s fishing equipment was not found in the area. The following morning, May 25, the 16-year-old was identified and arrested. That same afternoon, the 15-year-old girl turned herself in and was taken into custody. “Their statements are contradictory… The day before the tragedy (Saturday), they were fishing together on the Vilaine and agreed to meet again the next day to fish,” the prosecutor explained. “The two suspects admitted to attacking the 11-year-old and strangling him. They then fled, taking Théo’s fishing gear and personal belongings, which were found in their homes during searches,” he added. “They claimed they attacked Théo to get revenge and recover fishing bait worth a few dozen euros that Théo had taken from them.” Théo had told his parents that the 16-year-old he had met had “given” him this bait.
