The body of an 11-year-old girl has been found in woodlands just a day after her sister issued a desperate appeal to find her, as French police arrested two people and launched a murder probe.
Louise Lasalle, from Essonne, northern France, was last seen around 1.50pm on Friday afternoon as she left the André-Maurois middle school in Épinay-sur-Orge.
When she did not return home, her parents contacted police, while her sister Mariane posted on social media that her younger sister had gone missing.
She wrote on Friday afternoon: ‘My little sister Louise Lassalle disappeared at 2pm near Andre Maurois college in Epinay.
‘She went through the Bas Follet trail.
‘She had a purple backpack with a butterfly on it and a navy blue coat. She [had] a large white bandage on her chin too.’
Mariane Lassalle urged anyone with information to contact her as to the whereabouts of her sibling, however the youngster’s body was found in the early hours of Saturday morning in woodlands not far from her school.
Police searched the Parc des Templiers woodlands, around half a mile away – or just a 10-minute walk – from where the youngster was last seen, when they made the tragic discovery.
The body of Louise Lasalle, 11, from Essonne, northern France, was discovered by French police early on Saturday morning
CCTV footage showed Louise leaving her school on Friday afternoon and walking towards a nearby parkland
The youngster had last been seen around 1.50pm on Friday afternoon as she left the André-Maurois middle school in Épinay-sur-Orge (pictured)
CCTV footage had shown the young girl making her way towards the park before she disappeared, Le Parisien reports.
Officers launched a search involving specialist police dogs, drones and a helicopter in an effort to find the youngster.
At around 2.30am on Saturday morning, the girl’s body was discovered.
Public prosecutor Grégoire Dulin confirmed ‘an investigation into the murder of a minor has been opened’ and taken over by the Versailles organized and specialized crime division (DCOS).
An autopsy is expected to take place later today.
An appeal posted by Louise’s sister, Mariane Lassalle, stated that the youngster had a large white bandage on her chin prior to her disappearance
French police said they had arrested a 23-year-old man, who was seen on CCTV footage, and his 20-year-old partner.
The arrests took place before the body was discovered, at around 12.45am on Saturday, at their home in Épinay-sur-Orge.
In a statement from the local authority, officials publicly expressed their sympathy ‘with the family’s grief’.
The post added: ‘As soon as [Louise’s] disappearance was reported, all means were deployed to try to find her.’
