Sarah’s Family Urges Justice to Speed Up Search for Missing 14-Year-Old, Vanished Since April 20
A small crowd gathered outside the courthouse in Privas, France, on Saturday, June 13, to demand answers in the disappearance of Sarah, a 14-year-old girl who has been missing for 56 days. Her grandmother led the appeal, holding a banner with Sarah’s face and the message asking the public for help in finding her. The family says they have had no news from the teenager since she left the foster home where she was staying on April 20.
The case has been taken over by prosecutors in Avignon, after initially being opened in Privas. At first, investigators treated the case as the alleged removal of a child from the care of the person responsible for her custody. It is now being handled as a criminal investigation involving the arrest, kidnapping, unlawful confinement, or arbitrary detention of a minor under 15. That change means the case is now considered a serious criminal matter.
Sarah’s grandmother, Catherine, says the situation began earlier, when the teenager left her mother’s home on April 3 with a 28-year-old man known to the family. Catherine describes the man as violent and says she fears Sarah may have gone back to him. Police were reportedly able to locate both the man and Sarah at one point through the teenager’s mobile phone, after which Sarah was placed in a foster home in Privas. It was from that home that she disappeared on April 20.
The grandmother says the uncertainty has been devastating for the family. She described losing sleep, losing her appetite, and dropping 10 kilos in two months because of the stress and grief. Her words reflect the emotional toll that a prolonged disappearance can have on relatives waiting for answers and fearing the worst.
Several people who did not know the family personally also came to support them at the courthouse. Among them was a mother named Samantha, who said it was important to stand with the family during such a difficult period. She criticized the lack of progress in the case after two months and said children should be better protected. Her comments echoed a broader sense of frustration and concern among those present, many of whom said they were alarmed by what they see as ongoing insecurity for minors.
According to the Avignon prosecutor’s office, new investigations are underway. The family and supporters are now hoping those inquiries will help locate Sarah and clarify what happened after she left the foster home. For Catherine and others close to the case, the priority remains the same: finding the teenager safely and bringing an end to weeks of uncertainty.
