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Witness Appeal Brings New Leads in Reopened La Réunion Disappearances

France’s national cold‑case unit in Nanterre is now directing the decades‑old probe.

Overview

  • The Gendarmerie on La Réunion, which issued a public call on Sunday, May 3, says people have already come forward and interviews are starting.
  • The appeal seeks information on three women who vanished in the island’s west between 1984 and 1993: Marie‑Françoise Bomel, Nadia Hoarau, and Blandine (Michèle) Maillot.
  • A judge at the national cold‑case center in Nanterre reopened the files because disappearances in France have no time limit for prosecution.
  • Investigators are examining all hypotheses and have run new digs using teams with ground‑penetrating radar to search for possible burial sites.
  • Families, backed by lawyer Corinne Herrmann, pushed for the transfer in 2023 and say the fresh contacts give them renewed hope.