Morgane’s disappearance: the shadow of doubt hangs over the suspect, under investigation for rape and abduction of a minor

A disturbing disappearance

The disappearance of Morgane, a 13-year-old girl, plunged her relatives and the community into anxiety for almost two weeks. After disappearing on 25 November 2024, the teenager was finally found safe and well on Tuesday 10 December in a young workers’ hostel in Coutances, Normandy. She had left her home in Pabu, Côtes-d’Armor, after a violent argument with her parents about her use of social networking sites. In response to this altercation, her father confiscated her phone and SIM card, which seems to have precipitated her decision to flee, taking with her thoughts of suicide.

The arrest of the suspect

On 12 December, a 21-year-old man from Ille-et-Vilaine was charged with ‘abduction of a minor’ and ‘rape of a minor under the age of 15’. He was arrested without difficulty after Morgane was found in his home in Coutances. According to information reported by the Saint-Brieuc public prosecutor, Nicolas Heitz, the teenager had made contact with the suspect on the Snapchat social network a few months earlier. On Sunday 24 November, a few days before her disappearance, she allegedly confided in him that she had had an argument with her parents and had expressed suicidal intentions.

A consensual relationship, according to the suspect

The suspect, who had been working in a local jewellery store for a month, admitted during his interview that he had had a consensual sexual relationship with Morgane. However, the judicial authorities insist that the investigation has yet to determine the exact circumstances of the incident. The girl herself confirmed that she had decided to leave after the incident with her parents.

A worrying judicial record

The case is taking a worrying turn, especially as the suspect had already been arrested in April 2024 in connection with another case of abduction of a minor, involving a teenager in the Oise region. The investigation is continuing, and the authorities are seeking to establish the truth behind this complex case. The public prosecutor has emphasised that the judicial investigation will continue in order to establish the exact circumstances of what happened.

Unanswered questions

Questions remain: what really happened between Morgane and the suspect? How did the teenager experience these events? And what will be the consequences for the young man, already scarred by his criminal record? The investigation will have to shed light on these grey areas.