-
Speed limits to (mostly) drop to 30 km/h in this French city
The new measure will improve noise and pollution, improve safety and encourage cycling, say local authorities
-
Thousands of French parking fines cancelled after IT bug
The fines had been issued in error after IT system was privatised
-
Watchdog highlights Christmas food shopping ‘scams’ in France
Pastries with palm oil, excess packaging, inflated prices…vote for the worst ‘scam’ in this food watchdog’s annual contest
Boy, 2, found safe after abduction alert triggered
Child kidnapped in Marseille found in Drôme
A two-year-old boy has been found safe and well after he was abducted from Marseille on Sunday afternoon.
The child was found in a hotel in Valence, Drôme, after authorities triggered an 'abduction alert'. A 35-year-old man was taken into custody, when the hotel's nightwatchman saw the alert, recognised the child, and contacted police.
The boy had been taken from outside a prayer room in the city centre at about 12.40pm. He was then spotted, in the company of a man who his mother did not recognise, at Saint-Charles railway station shortly before 3pm. He was recovered in Valence late at night.
It is the 23rd time authorities in France have triggered an abduction alert - similar to the Amber Alert in the US - has been triggered since the system was introduced in 2006. In all 23 cases, the subject of the alert has been found safe and well within a matter hours.
An alert is only activated if police have evidence that a child has been abducted and it is suspected that they are in danger. The first time it was triggered turned out to be a false alarm as the sisters police feared had been taken returned home 15 hours later of their own accord.
Prior to this latest incident, the most recent alert was in January 2018, when a two-month-old baby was taken from a hospital in Toulouse, where he was being fed by a gastric tube. The baby was found, safe, the following day.
Stay informed:
Sign up to our free weekly e-newsletter
Subscribe to access all our online articles and receive our printed monthly newspaper The Connexion at your home. News analysis, features and practical help for English-speakers in France