Missing in Gard: 3-Year-Old Girl Found Safe in a Neighboring Department, Gendarmes Successfully Locate Her

A three-year-old girl who had been the subject of an urgent missing-child investigation near Uzès, in France’s Gard department, was found safe on Tuesday, June 2, in a neighboring department. The child had been taken the previous day while staying in a foster home in Uzès, prompting a large-scale search operation by the gendarmerie.

According to local media reports, the girl was discovered in good health at a relative’s home in a nearby department. Her disappearance had triggered a major response on Monday, June 1, when authorities launched an investigation for “concerning disappearance” and mobilized several police and gendarmerie units. An investigation was opened by the Nîmes research section, working jointly with the Bagnols-sur-Cèze research brigade.

A gendarmerie helicopter also joined the search efforts early Monday morning as officers combed the area around Uzès and Pont-Saint-Esprit, north of the town. The search focused on that sector as authorities tried to locate the child as quickly as possible. The exact circumstances of the disappearance were not immediately disclosed.

Reports from regional media indicated that the girl, who was placed in an emergency foster care arrangement in Uzès, may have been taken by her parents without authorization. That detail has not been officially confirmed by authorities, and the investigation into the case remains ongoing.

The child’s safe recovery brought an end to the urgent search after less than 24 hours. Officials had not publicly released further details about the family situation or the legal status of the adults involved at the time of her discovery.

The case drew significant local attention because of the age of the child, the sudden nature of the disappearance, and the rapid deployment of law enforcement resources. Authorities had treated the matter as highly serious from the outset, given the potential risk to the child and the uncertainty surrounding her whereabouts.

No injuries were reported, and the girl was found alive and in good health. The focus now shifts to understanding how the child left the foster placement, where she was taken, and whether any legal proceedings will follow.

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