Two teenagers charged with murder of 11-year-old boy in Rennes

Two teenagers have been charged in France in connection with the death of an 11-year-old boy who was discovered near a river with a towel tied around his neck, according to local reports.

The case has drawn widespread attention following reports by Le Monde, Ouest France, and the national Agence France-Presse, which confirmed that the two suspects were taken into police custody on Monday — the day after the boy's body was found on the banks of the Vilaine river in Rennes, a city in north-western France approximately four hours west of Paris.

Arrests made after boy found by fisherman

Rennes prosecutor Frédéric Teillet confirmed on Monday, 1 June, that a 16-year-old boy had been arrested at his home, whilst a 15-year-old girl also came into custody after presenting herself to police during the course of the investigation, according to AFP.

"It is therefore the two young people who were seen with the victim at the scene on the afternoon of the incident who are currently in police custody," Teillet said, per the outlet.

The prosecutor added that both teenagers would be charged with "murder of a minor."

According to Le Monde, the boy was found by a local fisherman with a wet towel "tied very tightly around his neck."

The fisherman told police he had heard a child's cry shortly before discovering the body at around 5 p.m. local time, after which he alerted the authorities.

Attempts to revive the child failed

Ouest France reported that local firefighters arrived at the scene and attempted to resuscitate the boy, but he was pronounced dead at the scene from cardiac arrest.

The wooded stretch along the river where the child was found lies approximately a ten-minute walk from the upscale Place du Parlement-de-Bretagne neighbourhood in Rennes, according to the newspaper.

Le Monde also reported that the boy's parents arrived quickly after being alerted by police, including his mother, who had reportedly already been searching for her son at the time of his death.

Investigation remains open

Whilst two teenagers are now in custody, Rennes authorities have made clear that the circumstances surrounding the boy's death are still under active investigation. Ouest France reported that the possibility of a third party's involvement has not been ruled out.