Garda search for presumed dead child moves to new stage

Officers hope to finish the search by the start of next week, depending on the weather

Gardai are set to bring in heavy machinery as early as today to help them search a sprawling site in north Dublin for a little boy they believe is buried there.

Sources have confirmed to us that officers are set to use a digger to scrape away layers of soil at the search of an expanse of land on the outskirts of Donabate where officers have been told the boy’s remains lie.

Officers hope to finish the search by the start of next week, depending on the weather.

Today will be day five of the search – which started on Tuesday after officers sealed off the area on the Portrane Road on Monday evening.

A fingertip search has been carried out by specialist gardai – and a cadaver dog was brought back to the scene on Friday, but now the heavy machinery is also being deployed.

The dog, which has been specially-trained to detect human remains as well as the scent of death, was first brought to the scene on Tuesday.

That was the first day of the search and came hours after the area was sealed off late on Monday evening – after the child’s mother indicated a spot where she said the kid was buried.

That area was closely searched between Tuesday and Thursday – but nothing was found and the dog did not indicate the presence of human remains there.

The specific area was extended on Friday and the cadaver dog was brought back in to examine those wider spots.

Sources told us much of the area was overgrown and would have to be cleared before a full search can take place.

Although nothing had been found as of last night – five days after the land was sealed off – gardai do suspect the child is buried in the general area.

The sources say it is possible that the mother may have got the exact spot wrong – but is right about the general area.

“A place can change a lot in four years, so it may have been difficult for her to remember the exact spot,” one source said.

But gardai from Swords Station who are leading the investigation are working on the assumption that the boy – who was just over three when he was last seen in 2021 – is buried there.

The mother initially told gardai that the child had died at the hands of a man known to the boy in 2021. But sources now say several people have told gardai that the boy died of natural causes. It’s alleged the parents panicked and buried the body on the site being searched.

Sources say gardai believe the only way they will establish how the child died – whether by an accident, an illness or foul play – is if they find his remains and a postmortem answers questions.

But there is a fear that because the body was buried in just a few feet and has been there for around four years that vermin or other animals may have got access to it.

The real fear, sources say, is that the child’s remains may have been dug up by animals and dispersed around a wide area. That would also mean a cause of death would likely be impossible to establish.

Gardai at Swords have not arrested anyone and nobody is regarded as a suspect. The boy’s father is Irish but moved away from here several years ago. The boy’s mother is from Africa, but has spent most of her life here.

Gardai in Swords have appealed for witnesses to come forward.

The force said in a statement: “Gardaí are appealing to anyone who has any information in connection with this investigation to contact Swords Garda Station on 01 666 4700, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any Garda Station.”

Officers are also considering officially naming the boy. It’s understood that is unlikely to happen this weekend – but his name may be released early next week, depending on the progress in the search and investigation.

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