The father, the mother, the brothers and sisters, the friends, all still want to believe in it. And to have the answer to the question that torments them: what happened to Marion Hermier? This 26-year-old young woman has been missing since the beginning of February on the island of Dominica in the West Indies. The searches carried out by the local authorities and the gendarmes from neighboring Guadeloupe have so far remained in vain. French justice has been seized since March 2, but the investigations are slowed down, because they are subject to diplomatic agreements with the Dominican authorities. An operation which was to be held this Saturday might not take place.

A solo sporting challenge

It all started with a waking dream. In January, Marion Hermier makes her first enchanting stay. She discovers with friends this small island with paradisiacal nature, wedged between Guadeloupe and Martinique. A well-trained hiker, she then decided to return there for a solo sporting challenge of 185 kilometers from the north to the south of the island before returning to France. Portugal, India, Reunion, she is used to this kind of adventure. “Freedom is her greatest value, she loves meeting people”, testifies his older sister, Maya. To satisfy her passion for travel, she has chosen a singular professional route, working as a chef, driver and truck mechanic.

When she landed in Dominica on February 4, Marion informed her family. If she does not give news, you should not worry for at least 15 days. The 14 segments of its route are sometimes outside the telecommunications access zone. At the beginning of March, his disappearance was reported. Four friends come from Guadeloupe to put up posters, to launch the first searches. “The outpouring of solidarity was tremendous, emphasizes Elena, Marion’s sister-in-law, they stayed there for a month”.

Witnesses come forward. A Canadian says he met the young woman on February 5. The day before, she appeared on video surveillance images in the north of the island. Later, someone thinks they recognize her, it is in fact a Swiss tourist who vaguely resembles her.

A new call for witnesses

The local police are on his trail, without success. On three occasions, the French gendarmes came to support joint operations. A helicopter, dogs are deployed on segments 4 and 5 of the route of the disappeared in the middle of a dense forest, rich in water, but free of dangerous animals. From mid-March, Marion’s father and then mother arrive in Dominica, which they should leave this week. On site, they recruit guides and rent drones to speed up research. From the accident to the bad encounter, the hypotheses remain open. In France, a letter from the family alerts the Élysée and Matignon. In response, the Office of the Head of State sends the ” support “ of Emmanuel Macron and informs the ministers concerned.

“The prosecutor and the gendarmes cannot act as quickly as they would like, deplores the lawyer of the Hermier family, Richard Sédillot, they are waiting for a diplomatic agreement that is all the more important since it would make it possible to launch ground searches and that there is urgency. »

To activate the investigation, the family launches a new call for witnesses. “If people have met my sister during a stay there”, says Maya who also suggests to these potential tourists “to look at their photos”, in case, in the background, Marion appears there…