French teens, 15 and 16, charged with murder after strangling 11-year-old boy over fishing lures worth 'a few dozen euros'

The crime and confession

Two adolescents, a 16-year-old boy and a 15-year-old girl, have been charged with 'murder of a minor under 15' and 'theft committed by a group' and placed in pre-trial detention in Rennes, France. The pair admitted during police custody to strangling 11-year-old Théo on Sunday, 25 May, along the banks of the Vilaine river in the city centre. According to the Rennes public prosecutor, Frédéric Teillet, the suspects stated they attacked the boy 'to take revenge and to recover fishing lures worth a few dozen euros that Théo had taken from them.'

The two accused admit to having attacked Théo and notably to having strangled him. Then they fled, taking Théo's fishing gear and belongings, which were found at their respective homes during searches.

Discovery of the body

The victim's body was discovered on Sunday afternoon in a wooded area on a bank of the Vilaine, not far from central Rennes. An autopsy confirmed the cause of death was 'strangulation.' The alert was raised by a local couple who called the police 'after hearing the cries of a child.' Officers arriving at the scene found the boy's lifeless body with 'a bath towel tied tightly around his neck.'

These two young people were then seen leaving the scene at a run. Moreover, none of the belongings with which Théo had gone fishing were found at the scene.

The events leading to the tragedy

According to the prosecutor's reconstruction, the 16-year-old suspect met Théo, whom he did not previously know, on Saturday, 23 May. The two boys fished together in the Vilaine and arranged to meet again the following day for another fishing session. On Sunday, the 15-year-old girl, who attends the same school as the 16-year-old, was also present. The two suspects admitted to attacking and strangling Théo before fleeing with his fishing equipment. The stolen items were recovered during searches at their homes.

Their statements are not entirely consistent. It nevertheless emerges that the young man in question met Théo, whom he did not know. The day before the tragedy, they fished together in the Vilaine, and planned to meet again the next day for another fishing trip.

The disputed fishing lures

The conflict centred on fishing lures worth 'a few dozen euros.' The two accused claimed Théo had taken the lures from them, and they attacked him to get them back. However, the prosecutor revealed a conflicting account: 'Théo had spontaneously told his parents the day before that the young person he had met had given him these lures.' Neither of the two suspects had any prior criminal record. They were described as friends who attended the same school.

Legal proceedings and family's plea

Because both suspects are minors, they face a maximum sentence of 20 years' criminal imprisonment rather than life imprisonment. The prosecutor met with Théo's family on Tuesday evening. The parents appealed to the media to 'respect their grief,' saying they felt 'harassed' by repeated requests from some journalists.