- Unidentified Child’s Body Found in German River
- Interpol’s Efforts to Discover the Boy’s Identity
- Operation Identify Me: Seeking Answers for Unresolved Cases
Police have requested assistance in identifying a child whose corpse was discovered in a German river more than a year ago and is believed to be between the ages of five and six.
In May 2022, the body of the child was discovered in the state of Bavaria.
Interpol said it made the case public to find the youngster and “the suspicious circumstances surrounding his death.”
“Someone, somewhere, knows something about this boy,” the sign read.
“Whether he was a victim of trafficking, kidnapping, or violence,” said Interpol secretary-general Jurgen Stock, “we are determined to shed light on his death.”
It is the first time Interpol has issued a so-called “black notice” requesting information about an unidentified child’s corpse.
It represents an expansion of a landmark campaign the organization inaugurated in May, dubbed Operation Identify Me, which sought information about 22 murdered women in Europe whose identities have never been determined.
The black notices published as part of the campaign are typically only disseminated among Interpol’s global network of police forces.
Interpol found the boy’s body wrapped in aluminium foil and loaded down with stones on 19 May 2022.
As part of the black notice, a reconstruction of his visage was published.
Interpol deemed it “unusual” for a child’s remains to remain unidentified for so long, suggesting another nation of origin.
The public has been exhorted to provide information to the German police.
Since the debut of Operation Identify Me in May, police have received over 500 tips regarding unidentified women who were murdered in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany.
This also includes possible victim identities and potential leads regarding the clothing and jewelry worn by the women.
The unsolved 1999 murder of an Amsterdam lady found in a riverside wheelie bin inspired the campaign.
