THE grandfather of Emile Soleil has been arrested on suspicion of his murder, after shocking discoveries about his past were revealed.
Philippe Vedovini , 59, was previously questioned over alleged sexual assault and violence at a private Catholic school he worked at.
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Emile vanished two years ago while at his grandparents’ holiday home in the hamlet of Haut-Vernet in the French alps.
His remains, including a fractured skull, were found nine months later, prompting a fresh probe into his death.
Philippe was arrested in connection with Emile’s death on Tuesday, after the police raided his family home near Marseilles.
He was arrested alongside his wife Anne and two of their adult children in connection with Émile’s death.
All four are facing charges of “intentional homicide” and “concealing a corpse”, according to a statement from Aix-en-Provence prosecutors.
The statement said: “This morning, Philippe Vedovini and his wife, grandparents of Émile Soleil, along with two of their adult children were taken into custody.”
“These police custody placements are part of a phase of verification and comparison of the evidence and information gathered during the investigations carried out in recent months.”
“The statement added that investigators are also conducting forensic operations in various locations across the country.The grandparents’ lawyer, Isabelle Colombani, confirmed the arrest but did not make any further comment.
Emile’s parents, Marie and Colomban Soleil, are not believed to be the two adult children arrested.
It was also revealed on Tuesday that the family’s phones were tapped for several months in the lead-up to the raid, according to Le Parisien.
The disturbing details about Emile’s granddad’s shady past emerged last year.
Multiple French news outlets including Le Parisien and Le Canard enchaîné reported the shocking details of the sex abuse scandal.
Philippe was training to be a monk when he worked at Riaumont school in the Pas-de-Calais, in Northern France.
The Roman Catholic boarding school for troubled youngsters received multiple complaints from former pupils between 2014 and 2017.
The pupils said they had suffered sexual abuse, including rape, in the early 1990s, as well as regular physical beatings.
Philippe was implicated in the enquiry as an “assisted witness”.
In an interview with the police in April 2018, Philippe admitted to administering “somewhat harsh” physical discipline, but insisted he had never broken the law, according to a source close to the enquiry.
Eleven former colleagues ended up being indicted on various charges.
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After going missing on July 8, 2023 the police launched a major search for the two-year-old.
For days, police, soldiers, sniffer dogs, scores of volunteers, a helicopter and drones failed to find any sign of the toddler.
Nine months later, Emile’s remains were discovered by a rambler in what was a major breakthrough for the case.
The remains, including a fractured skull, were found about a 25-minute walk away from the French hamlet of Haut-Vernet where Emile was last seen.
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