After two and a half days of intensive search, the eight-year-old boy missing from Frankfurt am Main since Wednesday was found unharmed in Heppenheim. He was with his mother, who has no custody rights. The boy was returned to youth welfare custody.
The eight-year-old was last seen on Wednesday morning at the Weißfrauenschule in Gutleutstraße in Frankfurt's Bahnhofsviertel district. He was dropped off by a taxi service in front of the school around 8 a.m. but did not enter the building and failed to attend class. Police immediately launched a search operation.
On Thursday, the search was expanded: A helicopter flew over the area, and water police searched the Main River just a few hundred meters away. The school was thoroughly checked multiple times, as were the boy's known hangouts—but to no avail.
On Friday, investigators focused on the family environment. Police assumed the boy, named Noah according to one report, was with his mother. However, their whereabouts remained unclear, so the search extended to the Rhein-Main region, with appeals for public tips.
Late Friday evening brought relief: The boy was found unharmed in a residential house in Heppenheim, about 60 kilometers south of Frankfurt. “He was in the presence of his mother, who had stayed there with an acquaintance,” police stated. The mother, who has no custody rights, was allowed to return to her apartment, while the boy was handed back to youth welfare custody.
Since autumn 2025, the eight-year-old had not lived with his family but was under youth office care by court order. This measure aims to protect the child's welfare and involves temporary placement in a home or foster family, as confirmed by the city of Frankfurt.
