Every mother’s nightmare and the mystery of Antoine Maury
Family fear missing French student may have been abducted
HE disappeared in bizarre circumstances in the middle of Edinburgh.
Now missing student Antoine Maury’s mother has disclosed that she is tortured by not knowing what has happened to her son, and terrified he may have fallen victim to foul play.
The 21-year-old was leaving his halls of residence with friends to go for a drink when he unexpectedly ran away from them – and never came back.
In the five weeks since he disappeared, various witnesses have reported seeing him walking bare-chested, despite it being a cold night, through Holyrood Park in the shadow of Arthur’s Seat.
Despite an intensive search by hundreds of police and volunteers, including the use of sonar equipment to scour a loch within the park, no sign of him has been found.
Now, in an exclusive interview with The Scottish Mail on Sunday, the young man’s mother Laura Vesterinen, 54, has disclosed details
‘Is he in pain? Terrified? This is not like him’
about the night he went missing which compound the mystery.
Minutes before leaving his flatmates, Mr Maury received a phone call from a friend, who has since told the family there was no sign of him being upset or distressed, or drunk or on drugs.
Mrs Vesterinen also said police had recently received a new sighting of Antoine on the evening he disappeared, suggesting he had almost walked right through the park and may have headed into the busy, welllit streets of central Edinburgh.
Although his mother acknowledges his odd behaviour makes it seem likely he suffered a tragic accident, she cannot rule out the possibility he was captured or kidnapped – nor can she surrender the hope that he is still alive.
She said: ‘In my head there is something even more distressing. I can’t help wondering if someone has taken him and is keeping him prisoner. Is he in pain? Is he terrified? Because this is not like him.
‘As a parent you always assume your child coming to harm is the worst thing imaginable, but for your child to disappear and you not to know anything, which means that any scenario you imagine is possible, that is a form of torture.’
Music management student Mr Maury, who fell in love with Scotland when he studied for the international baccalaureate as a boarder at St Leonard’s School in St Andrews, Fife, was last seen in Edinburgh College’s Milton Road Campus around 10.30pm on October 24.
Just before heading out, he received the call on his mobile from a friend in France.
Mrs Vesterinen said: ‘He says that Antoine was his usual self and we have no reason to doubt him as he knows Antoine well and is a good friend.’
After the call, instead of going to his room to collect his wallet and then joining his friends, Mr Maury suddenly set off at a brisk run towards Duddingston.
Once he had run about two miles to Duddingston Village, he shed his brown/green bomber jacket with his mobile phone in one of the pockets, along with his hooded top, white beanie hat and glasses. Without them, he could see but his vision was blurred.
Leaving his clothes and glasses on the pavement, he must then have gone through the gateway close to the Sheep Heid, one of Edinburgh’s oldest bars, and into Holyrood Park.
Four sightings have been reported to police between 10.45 and 11pm, all credible because officers know that bearded, 6ft Mr Maury was now walking along the road topless.
The final sighting, reported by a taxi-driver only a few days ago, offers some comfort to his anxious family. It places him beyond Duddingston Loch on the road leading to the Commonwealth Pool and Edinburgh University’s Pollock student halls of residence.
Finnish-born Mrs Vesterinen, who is divorced from Antoine’s father and lives in Paris, said: ‘Fear can make people run away, but if it was fear we have no idea what caused it, or whether it was rational. It’s a complete mystery.’
‘My daughter Emilia, who is 20 and close to her brother, and I are trying to stay positive. We pray for news and that it might be good news.’