On a bitterly cold Saturday night on the outskirts of Edinburgh about 200 people, clutching brightly coloured balloons, glow sticks and Chinese lanterns, congregated at West Pilton Park to remember Mikaeel Kular. Many of the crowd had spent the previous two days searching for the missing local boy, whose remains were discovered in woodland, 20 miles away, late on Friday night.
'Worst possible outcome'
Robert Pearson, chairman of community group Tenants and Residents in Muirhouse, which organised the event, described the discovery of Mikaeel's body as "the worst possible outcome".
"It was devastating. There were many people still out searching (on Friday night) unaware that a body had been found," Pearson told The Irish Times.
Three-year-old Mikaeel lived in the Drylaw area with his mother, Rosdeep Kular, and four siblings. His mother reported to police that the child had not been seen since going to bed on Wednesday evening.
Arrest
A 33-year-old woman, widely reported to be the child's mother, has been arrested in connection with the death. She is due to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court today. The mood in Drylaw, a largely residential neighbourhood northwest of Edinburgh city centre, was one of shock, grief, and, at times, anger as news of the discovery of Mikaeel's body spread through the community.
"The community is still in shock and disbelief that this has actually happened in our community. This is the sort of thing you hear happening elsewhere, not in your own community. The community still has a lot of questions that they want answered and they need answered. There is still a sense of the unknown, of what actually happened," said Robert Pearson, who praised the response of Police Scotland to the tragedy.
“Any time a child goes missing you just look at your own kids and just pray to God that never happens to your children.”
More than 200 people assisted in the search on Thursday and Friday, and police received more than 500 phone calls from the public in connection with the investigation.
Community safety leader Cammy Day applauded the community's response. "It was very moving to see the community pull together. I know that people will continue to support each other in the weeks ahead as we all try to come to terms with this heartbreaking outcome," he said.
Memorial service
Before a memorial service at Muirhouse St Andrew's Church, less than a mile from the Kular family home, on Saturday, Colin Kerr said that the "community in this area has had every emotion pulled apart" during the search for the missing toddler.
"We have had hope, we have had shock, and we don't have the answers yet," the member of the Scottish Parliament for Edinburgh Western said.
The child’s remains were found in a wooded area behind a bungalow occupied by Mikaeel Kular’s aunt in the Fife town of Kirkcaldy. A neighbour told local media that Rosdeep Kular and her five children had lived in the house until around 18 months ago, when the family moved across the Firth of Forth to Edinburgh.
Residents in Kirkcaldy, too, were struggling to come to terms with what had happened. “Sleep well wee man” read a note left beside a bunch of flowers and a teddy bear on the quiet, suburban Fife street.
“I’m absolutely shocked about what’s happened. The fact he’s just a three-year-old boy is just terrible,’ said Olga Park who lives nearby.
Forensic experts continued to search the properties in Fife and Edinburgh yesterday.
Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond said the discovery of the child's body was "the news we had all been dreading". "The hearts of everyone across Scotland and beyond have been touched by the events of recent days," he said.