Investigation of Little Émile’s Disappearance
For them, these ten days must have been interminable… Supported by their entire family, gathered in the village of Haut-Vernet, the parents of little Émile are still waiting to understand what happened to their son. At two and a half, the little boy had indeed disappeared in his grandparents’ garden and despite an extensive investigation, he has not yet been found.
Retrograde Amnesia and Trauma
Clinical psychologist Johanna Rozenblum explained to BFM TV that some may remember important things that had escaped them due to trauma. “It is also a time, for the close family and for the entourage, where memories can be reconstituted. When we are exposed to trauma, we know that we can sometimes suffer from retrograde amnesia,” she said. She went on to explain that “people will tell you: after a trauma, you can perfectly remember an announcement or a macabre discovery, to the point of remembering smells, the color of the sky and the surrounding noises… but have a complete blackout of the few minutes that preceded or followed the trauma.”
The Family’s Silence
The family continues to remain silent and “closed in on itself” according to BFM TV and local reporters. Johanna Rozenblum warned that this data should not be taken lightly. “In the early days, in general, after an event of a traumatic nature, there is a form of stunnedness that creates a lot of retreat, to the point of not being able to speak. It is a time of reflection, heralding new emotions that arrive. Anger, intense sadness, guilt… Everything can be exacerbated when the family lives in isolation like this,” she said.
