A stepfather has been arrested after allegedly locking a nine-year-old boy in a small cupboard for 15 days. The child was found locked in a storage cupboard that was just over a square meter in size in his family home, which he shares with his mum, stepfather and three brothers in Mérindol, a village in southern Luberon in France.

The little boy had reportedly been forced to use a basin as a toilet and without a mattress. Authorities were alerted by an anonymous source, and the boy was rescued by police on Friday, May 22. Neighbours reported that he was often left out of family outings and that he “was always being punished”.

It is believed that while the boy attended school, he was not allowed to go outside or shower, according to the French paper Le Dauphiné Libéré.

The French paper has reported that the child has been hospitalised and appeared very weak and thin.

The police were let into small family home located in Mérindol, a village of just 2,000 people, by the boys stepfather who confirmed his presence.

“The child was discovered by the police after the stepfather granted access to the home and confirmed his presence,” said public prosecutor of Avignon, Stéphanie Aouine.

“He could stand up despite the presence of the shelves. But above all, the child “had been placed there for 15 days.​​ His routine and living conditions (meals, outings, school) are still being assessed,” added Ms Aouine.

The stepfather has been arrested, charged, and remanded into custody. A judicial inquiry was opened on Sunday, May 24, for “deprivation of care or food endangering the health of a minor under 15 by an ascendant or person in authority” and “violence resulting in incapacity not exceeding eight days against a minor by an ascendant or a person in authority over the victim in the presence of another minor.”

The child has been “placed in the care of a trustworthy third party,” according to the public prosecutor, who added that a “more thorough” evaluation of his “physical and psychological” condition will be conducted as part of the investigation.

An “urgent social assessment is now underway to determine the appropriate protective and care measures for him and his siblings.”