Police in the French Alps believe that a little girl who went missing from a family wedding last weekend may have been kidnapped.
Maelys de Araujo, age nine, was last seen in the early hours of last Sunday morning, at a wedding in the town of Pont-de-Beauvoisin. She was attending with her parents and other relatives.
When Maelys’ parents realised she was missing, they asked the wedding DJ to put out a call for her over the sound system. The wedding party began a search, but there was no sign of the little girl.
The authorities were called, and a widescale search has been carried out in the area in a desperate bid to find Maelys.
‼️#AppelàTémoins lancé par les gendarmes de l'#Isère après la disparition inquiétante de Maëlys, 9 ans, à Pont-de-Beauvoisin #MerciRT pic.twitter.com/qmPAstqTrD
— GendarmerieNationale (@Gendarmerie) August 28, 2017
While posters have been distributed in the locality, authorities have been updating the media on the progress of the search.
According to reports, sniffer dogs deployed to follow Maelys’ scent lost the trail at the car park outside of the wedding venue. This has led some to believe that she may have been abducted in a car.
Meanwhile, divers and cavers have been deployed to conduct a thorough search of the area. Investigators have also been interviewing wedding guests, along with people who attended other events in the area on the night.
Speaking outside of the town's courthouse, local prosecutor Dietlind Baudoin told reporters: “Given the time that has elapsed since the disappearance of the young Maelys, and given the resources that have been sadly deployed in vain to find her; the criminal possibility can no longer be ruled out.”
We will keep you updated on the story as more information emerges. We sincerely hope that Maelys will be found safe and sound, soon.
