An image of French child Grégory Villemin, whose 1984 murder remains unsolved, was used to advertise a day-care centre at the Montreux Jazz Festival, it emerged Tuesday, prompting the child’s parents to file a lawsuit against the event’s organisers.

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Organisers of Switzerland’s famous Montreux Jazz Festival are facing a lawsuit after using the image of a child who died 29 years ago to advertise the event’s day-care centre.

A photo of Grégory Villemin, who was murdered in 1984 at the age four, was published by the festival’s daily newsletter the Montreux Jazz Chronicle on Saturday, with the ad later spotted and posted on the Internet by a member of the public on Tuesday.

In a statement posted on the event’s website, organisers apologised for what they called a “regrettable mistake”, caused by a young graphic designer who came across the image when looking for a photo of a child, without realising its significance.

It is understood that Gregory’s parents are now preparing a lawsuit against the festival for its use of the image.

"This is to punish unacceptable behavior that has caused considerable damage to Gregory's parents,” Thierry Moser, the Villemins' lawyer, told Reuters.

Grégory Villemin was found dead in a river near his parents’ home in the Vosges department in the east of France with his hands and legs tied. The murder is one of the country's most notorious crimes and remains unsolved.

(FRANCE 24 with wires)

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