Gardaí investigating the death of Dublin boy Daniel Aruebose, whose remains were found buried in a field near Donabate, north Dublin, have begun a homicide inquiry.
It means they are investigating his killing at the hands of a third party, despite claims by witnesses that he died of natural causes and was buried in panic.
In advance of what would have been Daniel’s eighth birthday on Friday, gardaí launched a fresh appeal for information.
They urged people to ignore “speculation, rumours or theories” about the case and to desist from amplifying such claims online.
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Previously, Garda headquarters had said it was investigating the boy’s “disappearance”, but it has now confirmed its inquiry is a homicide investigation.
The move is a significant development, though sources said all resources of a homicide inquiry had been committed to the case since the alarm was raised last August.
“Following inquiries conducted to date and based on information available to investigating gardaí, An Garda Síochána has commenced a homicide investigation into Daniel’s death,” the Garda confirmed, adding the dead child’s family had been “informed of all developments”.
Daniel vanished in 2021, when he was 3½, but his disappearance from Donabate, where he lived, went unnoticed for another four years.
In August, Department of Social Protection staff made checks on welfare payments being paid in respect of the boy but could not locate him or find evidence he was alive.
Their concerns were elevated to the Garda, via the State’s child and family agency Tusla, and an investigation commenced.
People who knew Daniel claimed he died of natural - though unexplained - causes one night.
They claimed when they tried to revive him and failed, they panicked and buried his remains in the plot of land off Portrane Road, just outside Donabate.
One of the witnesses who made those claims brought gardaí to the location and pointed out what they claimed was his burial ground.
After more than two weeks of searching and excavation, gardaí discovered Daniel’s partial remains on September 17th. A postmortem examination failed to determine the boy’s cause of death due to the scale of decomposition.
One key witness remains in Ireland while a second witness has moved abroad without notice in the years since Daniel disappeared. Both witnesses have been communicating with investigating gardaí.
The Garda investigation is being run, under a senior investigating officer, from Swords station in north Dublin.
Detectives in Swords have confirmed Daniel’s identity through DNA crosschecking with samples taken from some of his relatives.
Though the discovery of the remains and confirmation of the child’s identity were regarded as significant milestones in the inquiry, gardaí believe a number of people have vital information.
They have said that any contact with the investigation team from members of the public would be “treated in the strictest confidence”
“Members of the public are urged not to assume that gardaí already possess information they may hold, or that any detail is too small or insignificant,” Garda headquarters said in a statement issued on Thursday night.
“The investigation team will determine the relevance of any information provided.”
