Police appeal for help over disappearance of woman in Pay de la Loire
Woman missing since March 27; partner reportedly left for Algeria with baby daughter on April 2
The Loire-Atlantique gendarmerie is calling for witnesses to trace a woman who has been missing for nearly a month. Her 15-month-old daughter is also missing after being taken by her father to Algeria.
The appeal for witnesses posted on Facebook reads: “Anyone with information that could help investigators is asked to come forward.”
Manon Relandeau, 31, who lives on a farm in Saint-Étienne-de-Montluc, near Nantes, is described as 1.60m tall, slim, with long, wavy brown hair.
Anyone with any information is urged to contact 0800 877 668. The number is free and operates 24/7.
At present, there have been no signs or news from her since March 27. It was on April 3 when her relatives raised the alarm over her disappearance, and investigators have been searching for any trace of her since then.
The Nantes public prosecutor’s office has opened a murder and kidnapping investigation, with a national investigative unit composed of 15 investigators leading the search, reports TF1 Info. Around 100 military personnel have also been deployed.
On April 21, police thoroughly searched a farm in Saint-Étienne-de-Montluc where Manon has lived for the past few years, reportedly managing a horse stable at the farm.
“We deployed a helicopter, drones, and also water resources. Divers and two canine units were present,” said Thierry Coin, second-in-command of the Nantes gendarmerie company, to TF1 Info.
Manon was very active on social media and had not posted since March 19, a fact that began to worry her relatives. On April 2, her 41-year-old partner took their 15-month-old daughter and travelled to Algeria, where he reportedly contacted a couple of people by phone. On April 3, Manon’s relatives raised the alarm.
The weekend of March 21 was the last time her family saw her, during her stepfather’s birthday.
Her partner is now at the heart of the investigation, with neighbour testimonies describing what they perceived as a jealous partner. A neighbour wishing to remain anonymous also described the day they saw him leaving on April 2, noting that they considered his behaviour bizarre.
Her godmother also described her partner as jealous and possessive. Speaking to BFM TV, she explained that Manon realised the relationship had problems: “He prevented her from talking to men and cut her off from her family,” her godmother explained, adding that Manon had asked them to let her handle it herself.
The Nantes public prosecutor’s office has opened an investigation for the murder of a spouse and abduction of a minor, but at present, the question is whether the justice system will be able to bring the suspect back to France.
“The investigating judge will issue an international letter rogatory, which the Algerian authorities will, in principle, execute.” explains Évelyne Sire-Marin, honorary magistrate and former president of the Magistrates' Union, to TF1 Info.
“However, this depends on Franco-Algerian relations allowing the authorities to communicate, which is currently the case,” she added.
