France: Two minors confess to strangling 11-year-old for fishing gear

Horror has gripped France following the murder of an 11-year-old boy, with authorities arresting two minors, aged 15 and 16, who allegedly confessed to the crime. The victim, identified as Theo, was discovered lifeless on Sunday afternoon in a wooded area near the Vilaine River, a towel tied around his neck. An autopsy confirmed strangulation as the cause of death, corroborating initial findings.

Local residents alerted police after hearing loud shouts from the forest. Officers found the boy unresponsive at the scene. The investigation rapidly led to the arrest of a 16-year-old on Monday, followed by the surrender of a 15-year-old girl hours later. According to the prosecutor of Rennes, Frédéric Teillet, both minors admitted during interrogation to attacking and strangling the child.

The alleged motive for the attack has sent chills: the suspects claimed they wanted to steal the victim's fishing equipment and bait, which had little monetary value. Police confirmed that the items the 11-year-old had with him were missing from the scene. Evidence suggests the three minors knew each other and had met in the same area for fishing the previous weekend. Witnesses also reported seeing two young individuals leaving the area in a hurry shortly after the incident.

Despite the confessions, authorities noted contradictions in the suspects' accounts regarding their precise roles and actions during the assault. Their detention has been extended as they await legal proceedings to face charges of murdering a minor.

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the two minors confessed during interrogation that they attacked the child and strangled him.