Investigators hear claims boy, aged three to four when last seen, was killed and body disposed of
Gardaí have launched an investigation into what happened to a young boy living in Dublin who appears to have vanished without being reported missing.
An investigation team is trying to determine if the boy, aged three to four years when last seen, died in suspicious circumstances without the authorities being notified or any concerns being flagged.
One line of inquiry is that he died in a case of foul play and his body disposed of to conceal his death so no investigation would be launched.
Though the Garda inquiry is in its early stages, a property in north Co Dublin was sealed off over the weekend to be searched.
It is understand his disappearance came to light when social welfare payments related to him were being claimed. No proof the boy was still alive was provided and there was no record of him having attended school.
A person of interest has been spoken to by the Garda investigation team and has made claims about a third party in relation to the boy’s apparent death, possibly four to five years ago.
The alarm was raised with gardaí last Friday by Tusla, the child and family agency, with a missing persons inquiry launched immediately.
A woman was interviewed about the boy, amid grave concerns for him, and during those interviews she claimed he had been killed by another person.
The Garda investigation team, has also spoken to a number of other people they believe knew the child. An incident room has been set up at Swords station.
Though the claims made by the woman during Garda interviews have not been proven, gardaí are taking them seriously and a major investigation is now under way.
In response to queries, Garda headquarters confirmed an investigation had commenced, which was first reported by the Irish Mirror on Monday.
“Gardaí are continuing to carry out operational enquiries in north Co Dublin into the current whereabouts and welfare of a child,” it said. “An Garda Síochána is not in a position to provide any further detail at this time.”
In a statement on Monday, Minister for Children Norma Foley said she had been briefed by officials and had spoken to the Tusla chief executive.
“I am deeply concerned about this missing child. Uppermost in my thoughts is the welfare of this child,” she said, appealing for anyone with information to provide it to An Garda Siochána.
Tusla reported its concerns about the child to the Garda last Friday, exactly one year after it reported concerns about the welfare of Co Louth boy Kyran Durnin. Kyran was six years old when he was last seen alive in mid-2022 and gardaí believe he was killed and his remains disposed of in a bid to conceal the crime.
However, though there are fears the boy who lived in Dublin may also have been killed in a concealed death, his case is not linked in any way to that of Kyran.
