Gardaí searching for a boy who went missing when he was three years old have found human remains at a site in Donabate, north Dublin.
Confirming that skeletal remains had been discovered, Garda Headquarters also named the boy as Daniel Aruebose.
It is the first time he has been named since his disappearance and assumed death was placed under investigation three weeks ago.
Gardaí believe the boy died about four years ago and commenced a criminal investigation last Friday week when the alarm was first raised. The investigation has been trying to establish precisely when the boy was last seen alive.
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Investigating gardaí, including specialist interviewers, have spoken to the boy’s parents and others. And on the basis of those interviews, they sealed off the plot of land just outside Donabate last Monday week. The woman who has accompanied gardaí to the site claims to have specific information about the boy’s death and his burial ground.
When the child was born he was initially given up for adoption and was in foster care for about 18 months. However, his parents then had a change of heart and the child was returned to them. Tusla, the child and family agency, oversaw the case for all of those developments, but ceased its involvement with the child and his family in 2020.
Gardaí suspect the child died, or was killed, around 2021 and that his remains were secretly buried to conceal his death. They are trying to determine if the child died of natural causes or if foul play was a factor.
The alarm was first raised when checks were made on a social welfare payment being made related to the child. When those checks were made, officials became concerned and took those concerns to Tusla, who then contacted gardaí.
“An Garda Síochána is currently engaging with the local coroner in relation to the discovery of these remains,” the Garda added. “The remains will be subject of careful and sensitive exhumation from the current burial site. Formal identification of the remains will now have to be carried out including DNA analysis.”
Daniel, who would now be seven years old if alive, lived in a family setting at The Gallery Apartments, Donabate, but has not been seen alive for three to four years.
Gardaí have been speaking to the boy’s mother and father, who are no longer a couple.
The child’s mother, who is originally from Africa but is an Irish citizen, still lives in Dublin. His father is Irish and has settled in South America, where he is now married.
Gardaí received information during the investigation that Daniel died one night and his remains were buried in the field where skeletal remains have now been found. One version of events, currently under investigation, is that the boy died of natural causes and when efforts to revive him failed he was taken a short distance and his remains buried at the site on Portrane Road, just outside Donabate.
A woman went to the site with gardaí at least twice to pinpoint the precise location where she claimed the remains were buried. However, since September 1st gardaí have been searching and digging there and, when the first tranche of excavation failed to uncover any remains, gardaí became concerned about the accuracy of the information and began to widen the area of excavation.
Daniel Aruebose: Body found in north Dublin search for vanished boy
On Wednesday morning, The Irish Times was at the site and the search team was once again digging – using three mechanical diggers – very close to the initial location they began excavating almost three weeks ago. It was there the remains were discovered.
In a statement on Wednesday, Tusla said: “The death of a young boy is an unimaginable tragedy, and we offer sincere condolences to those who knew and loved Daniel.
“We will continue to engage fully with An Garda Síochána as they continue their investigations and will provide support and care to those impacted. Anyone with information should contact An Garda Síochána.”
