For nearly five months, 2-year-old Émile has been missing. He vanished in early July during a visit to his grandparents in Le Vernet, a French Alpine village.
The French police have conducted an intensive search but have found no trace of him. Recently, on the occasion of Émile turning three, his mother issued a desperate plea in an audio recording.
"Please. If he is alive, do not let us live without him. Return him to us! Please, if he is dead, tell us where he is, so we can bring him back," the mother's heart-wrenching plea goes according to French media La Provence.
The French police have taken the investigation very seriously but have had few leads to follow.
"We live in hope and despair. We are convinced that our little Émile has either been kidnapped or had an accident," the family stated.
"He has a birthday tomorrow, and we cannot celebrate it. Where is our little boy? What has happened to him? We would like to speak to those who know what happened to him."
The family has previously expressed their fear of the worst.
"It's inevitable to think the worst, but we can only hope for the best," said Marie and Colomban, Émile's parents, who are deeply religious and have asked for prayers for Émile.
