France’s Alerte Enlèvement at 20: 38 Children Found as Latest Case Leaves Two Still Missing

Overview

• Authorities say the child‑abduction alert, launched in 2006 and inspired by the U.S. Amber Alert, has led to 38 safe recoveries across 37 activations.
• The Bobigny prosecutor authorized the February alert for three children from Épinay‑sur‑Seine after confirming all four legal criteria, including proven abduction and specific identifying details.
• A six‑week‑old girl with a cardiopathy was found alive at a Lille hospital, and searches continue for her brother, her sister and their parents.
• Once triggered, messages are pushed to more than 60 partners, including media, highway operators and SNCF, and are rebroadcast every 15 minutes for at least three hours.
• Justice officials note that over half of perpetrators are parents, that 16 alerts were decisive and 11 contributory in recoveries, and that images are withdrawn once a child is located to protect privacy.